One rose to seal fate
by Bhavdraco
Summary: Five years after the war, Pansy and Ginny take it upon themselves to sign Hermione up to be the lead on the new show on the Wizarding Network adapted from the muggle reality TV show "The Bachelorette". 30 men fighting for the hand of Hermione Granger. Can her life get any better? Thats when Draco Malfoy enters as contestant number 14. Great, just great, both groaned.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: One rose to seal fate**

**Summary: **Five years after the fall of Voldemort, her friends are tired of trying to get through her head to find a man in her life. Pansy and Ginny take it upon themselves to sign Hermione up to be the lead on the new show on the Wizarding Network adapted from the muggle reality TV show "The Bachelorette". 30 men fighting for the hand of Hermione Granger. Can her life get any better? But then steps out her one arch nemesis with the biggest scowl on his face as contestant number 14. _Just great,_ she thought.

**Rating: **T+ for now, may make it M in future chapter, may not. still in progress.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Harry Potter series or the characters from the series mentioned in this story. Some characters are OC. I do not own the concept of The Bachelorette television show either.

**Time Frame: **5 years after the fall of Voldemort. Graduated from hogwarts and moved onto jobs in the wizarding community.

* * *

Hermione let out a big sigh. She could not believe she let them talk her into this. Oh, did she put up a fight but it was nothing compared to Ginny's angry pregnancy hormones. Now she was forced to take leave from her job that she loved immensely to be a part of some stupid new show. Pansy grabbed her shoulders to keep her still while she did her makeup and Ginny did her hair. She became great friends with the former Slytherin after the war when they mutually decided to start over and leave old prejudices behind.

Ginny let out a frustrated sound "Will you stop?! You are going on this show whether you like it or not. You're bound by a magical contract anyway so lighten up! At least go in there with a positive mindset. Who knows? Your Mr. Right might be there waiting for you and you may just get to meet him tonight."

_Yeah, right. _Hermione thought. Hermione did not believe a word about love at first sight and soulmates. Those were best left for the books she loved so much.

Pansy helped Hermione into her dress, spritzed her with some expensive perfume before literally having to push her out her front door to the man waiting to apparate her to the Manor she will reside in at least for the next month.

* * *

Draco downed another glass of firewhiskey with a scowl and was reaching for another one when Blaise grabbed the glass out of his hands and glared at the blonde.

"Damn, Drake, will you stop moping around and just get ready? I know you dont want to do this, but we're sorry alright? Just get your arse up and take a shower. With your foul mood, the bachelorette probably won't even keep you past the first round so i don't see what the big deal is." Blaise said sternly while fixing his robes.

"Yeah mate, we had to do this. You need to get back on your feet and stop crying over Astoria. Move on, man! This girl could be exactly what you need. You can hate us all through the next few days but just go get dressed. We don't want to be late on the first day" said Theo as he walked in the front door to the flat Blaise and Draco shared.

Draco grumbled to himself and finally pulled himself off the chair. He couldn't believe this. He so-called best friends actually decided to put him through the worst form of torture. He was signed up to be a contestant on the new show on the wizarding network, along with Blaise and Theo. He didn't need help in the girl department. He could get any girl he desired with his looks and his name, but he didn't want anyone at moment. He was tired of girls. _Bitches, all of them. _He thought. And now he had to pretend to fight 29 other guys for the hand of a girl he was sure to be a tramp or a poor witch trying to hook a rich mate. _GREAT!_

He got dressed in record time, just when their escort to the Manor apparated in.  
_Well, here goes nothing. _Draco thought as they apparated away to the waiting area where the rest of the male contestants were gathered.

* * *

Hermione stood nervously and fumbled with the sides of her dress. She was feeling the jitters now. She always hated meeting new people in fear of first impressions, and now she'd have to meet 30 of them at once! _Oh, suck it up! _She scolded herself mentally. She had no reason at all to be afraid. She was Hermione Granger, War heroine, Head of the Department of muggle relations in the Ministry of Magic, and the most eligible bachelorette, as claimed by Witch Weekly. With that, she lifted her chin and put on her best smile to dazzle the men about to walk through the large front doors of the Manor.

* * *

Draco took a brief look around at his competition. These were the guys about to fight for this girl? Hah! He could beat all of them with his eyes closed if he really wanted to. He recognized some familiar faces from their time back at Hogwarts. Longbotton, Finnigan and fellow Slytherin Adrian Pucey. Murmurs were floating about on who this mystery girl could possibly be. Draco wasn't really paying much attention, just waiting for his time to come so he could speak to the bachelorette and request to remove him from the show. Then he heard something, "Could it be that Granger girl? She was named one of the most eligible bachelorettes by Witch Weekly. I'd wager its her" said some tall, french bloke. _GRANGER?! HAH! That would be hilarious. The know-it-all bookworm as the bachelorette. Sure. As if that would ever happen. The prude is probably still stuck with her face in a book, _and Draco smirked. Making fun of Granger was one of his favorite hobbies in Hogwarts, other than quidditch, of course.

And with that, contestant number one entered through the doors. _Only 13 more to go._

* * *

The doors opened and Hermione smiled in relief. At least there would be guys here she already knew! In walked Neville Longbottom, looking like the picture of sophistication in his robes. The past few years definitely did the boy justice. He carried himself with much more confidence than he ever had back in Hogwarts. She greeted him with a big hug. No introductions were necessary for the meeting of the two old friends.

Contestant number two introduced himself as Kieran Scott. _Now, just where did i hear that name before?_ Then it clicked. This was the owner of the company that produces brooms to all of the wizarding world and was named the richest and youngest entrepreneur at his age. Hermione just stood, stunned, but impressed that this man did not seem to overflow with the arrogance that came with his status. He actually seemed pretty decent.

Contestant number three entered, bowed low in front of Hermione and greeted her with a poem. Gustav Matthieu, renowned poet and published writer. Ever the bookworm, Hermione giggled and thanked him for the wonderful words.

Then a vaguely familiar scottish boy entered, shook her hand and smiled. Oliver wood, Ex-Gryffindor quidditch captain and current member of Puddlemere quidditch team. No wonder he seemed familiar, she must have seen him with Harry a couple of times. He greeted ever smoothly before winking slyly and moving on for the next contestant to make his entrance.

The fifth contestant was Lawson Micon. Hermione doubted he even knew her name because the guy had not stopped speaking about himself from the minute he entered. Hermione rolled her eyes. How self-absorbed can one guy get?

Conor Thomas walked in. Thomas. She was pretty sure she had a classmate with the same last name once. He introduced himself and cleared her doubts, mentioning that she was once classmates with his younger brother, Dean, who now works with him as partners in a quidditch magazine as a columnist.

Donal Fionn entered with his head held high. Hermione was somewhat skeptical. This guy seemed way too old for her. But she decided to give the Durmstrang Professor a chance.

Her jaw dropped when she recognized the eighth contestant. Former Slytherin and Ex-boyfriend of her best friend, Pansy. Blaise Zabini. She couldn't ignore the fact that this guy had outstanding looks and charm, but being on the receiving end of the Slytherin's insults back in school made her uncomfortable standing there with him. He seemed to understand her thought process and explained that he no longer holds the beliefs of pureblood supremacy and all that rubbish and would like a second chance to be friends. Hermione was not one to hold grudges, so she smiled and gave him a quick hug of acceptance.

The next contestant made Hermione's eyebrows rise into her hair. Had he no shame? Walking in shirtless like that! He had a body to show but now definitely was not the right time! Underwear model Francis Trento obviously did not agree with her on that.

The tenth contestant made Hermione blush slightly. Alexandre Adolhard. Current "hottie" of the wizarding world, capturing the hearts of girls everywhere with his music. Hermione was definitely not immune.

Christian DeMarcus entered and scoffed at the sight of Hermione as the bachelorette. Looks like not all purebloods grew up after the war. He muttered something that sounded like "Mudblood" before walking off.

The eleventh contestant was Theodore Nott. After clearing her insecurities about the former Slytherins with Blaise earlier, she had no problem giving him a smile. Theodore flushed slightly and smiled before nervously walking off. Hermione thought his actions were endearing.

With his hands behind his back, Pierre Vincent, famous french chef, walked in and offered a bite sized piece of creme brulee that he was most famous for. Hermione wanted to melt when it hit her tongue. _This could be fun, _Hermione thought. She certainly had no issue about getting exquisite food free from time to time.

Lucky number thirteen was certainly lucky for her as yet another familiar face greeted Hermione. Seamus Finnigan. Hermione chuckled as she remembered his irish accent that never failed to amuse her back in Hogwarts. And still does. Hermione was happy as ever as she turned back to the door to await the next contestant only to find herself speechless.

Draco Malfoy. Of course she could never forget him. He was the reason she hated Hogwarts sometimes. All because of him and his cronies. Her hate for him didn't diminish enough to notice the fact that he seemed different. He definitely grew into his features in the past few years but his eyes seemed to be missing the fire he had in them when they used to fight in school. He walked straight up to her, staring intently before giving a brief nod. "Granger" It sounded harsh, like he had to force himself to say it. "I dont want to be here any more than you want me here. I was forced into this by my so called best friends who will die in their sleep tonight for this. Just eliminate me as soon as you can. I cant wait to get out of here" He spat and walked off, without glancing back.

_How rude, apparently he hasn't changed a bit. Prat. _But then Hermione thought of something to get him back. She smirked. She couldn't wait to get to the ceremony later.

The rest of the contestants managed to lift the sour mood Hermione found herself in after her encounter with Malfoy. She met former Slytherin, Adrain Pucey, former Harry Potter fan boy, Collin Creevy, famous comedian, Ronan Padraig, Co-worker at the Ministry, Bobbby Ferdwal, Aspiring musician, Drayden Jeryweld, Ex-Beau, Victor Krum, quidditch player, Lorcan Daragh and another 7 more guys before she felt thoroughly exhausted. But no, her night wasn't over. Not even close.

* * *

My first chapter of my first fanfic on here! Thoughts? Please review! Criticism will be appreciated! Thanks for reading :)

Also, any suggestions and additions you think i should make as the story goes along? let me know :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: Do not own the harry potter series and the characters or the concept of the bachelor/bachelorette show.

* * *

The host, Landon Jamot, took Hermiones arm in his and ushered her to the main hall the men were waiting in. Draco watched as she entered. He tried to convince himself that he hated her and that she was beneath him but he could not take his eyes off her. She looked stunning in her long white gown with a long slit up the side to her mid thigh. The dress was strapless and showed the creamy skin of her shoulders and collarbone for all to see. Her hair, the once bushy mess he used to identify her with was sleek and held up high. Something in his stomach turned while ogling the girl he used to torment. He neglected it as hunger and anticipation. No matter how good she looked tonight, he still wanted to leave. It was beyond degrading for a man of his social status to be seen on such a desperate show such as this one.

Hermione walked in more confident than before she was introduced to the guys. The host gave them a half an hour to mingle around drinks to get to know each other a little better before it was time for the rose ceremony.

Hermione stood around and spoke to the many guys that surrounded her. It was as if her mouth was acting on auto-pilot. She did not consciously know what she was saying exactly but managed to nod and giggle and react whenever appropriate. Her attention was more on the little habits of each guy. She knew that a lot of a person's personality can be derived from the way they do the simplest things. She kept her eye out. After all, she had to send home 10 guys after just one evening. She needed to make the right decision.

She could tell from the way a guy stood when speaking if he was confident or insecure. She could tell from the look in their eye whether they are genuinely sincere in participating in the show. She could tell from the way they held their drinks, the kind of etiquette they possess. After making her rounds through most of the men (except Malfoy who was sulking in the corner), it was time for her verdict.

The 30 men stood around in hall and Hermione took her position facing them. A tray of 20 roses appeared before her and the host briefly explained to the contestants what was about to happen. Contestants that make it through this first round would be given dorms in groups of five to live in the Manor for the duration of the show. Once the name is called, the contestant would have to step forward to claim their rose and their chance at her heart. Contestants that do not make they cut would have to leave the manor immediately. And with that, it was left to Hermione.

Numerous expectant eyes stared at her as she picked up her first rose. She went through the guys slowly, as they walked toward her to accept the rose. Drayden, Seamus, Victor, Oliver, Pierre, Ronan, Neville, Theodore, Francis, Alexandre, Conor, Donal, Kieran, Adrian, Blaise, Gustav, Lorcan, Bobby and Collin all received roses and went back to their original positions with relieved smiles.

One rose was left with the remaning guys standing nervously at their spots. Hermione was in a fix. _Should i give this to a guy that would genuinely have a chance or should i waste it just to see the look on his face?_

She smirked and lifted the last rose before saying "Draco Malfoy". The whole room went dead silent. Draco just stared at the girl with the rose with wide eyes. He had no choice now. He had to take the rose. He was stuck her for at least a few more days. Inside, he was fuming. _Damn this girl, i should have known she would do something like this. Fine, if she wishes to humiliate me the next few days, i can do the same, only a lot worse. _He started towards her and stared at her with an evil glint in his eyes before snatching the rose and walking back.

* * *

The 10 that were unsuccessful said their goodbyes and left the manor. The remaining contestants were guided to their dorms while Hermione retired to her private quarters. All she wanted to do was to throw off her heels and take a nice long bath. She certainly felt like she deserved it after the day she had.

She began to think of what she was going to owl the girls tonight. They certainly were not going to believe that the Slytherin prince had shown up and that she actually kept him around.

* * *

All the contestants marched up to their dorms, with the exception of Draco. He was still fuming at the guts of this girl. Reluctantly, he entered the dorm he shared with Blaise, Theo, Adrian and Francis. At least he wasn't rooming with idiots, _with the exception of underwear boy here, _He chuckled.

"Hey Drake, that went well, yeah? and you didn't even want to come!" Theo slapped his back playfully.

He scoffed "I still dont. I dont know what was up in her bushy haired brain when she chose me. Its Granger. She hates me and the feeling's mutual, i assure you."

"Oh come on Drake, move on from your Hogwarts rivalries. I dont know what you saw a while ago, but Granger is one stunning fox! I had no idea she was hiding all of _that _under her robes. I would have shown my interest a lot sooner if i'd have known" Blaise said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Draco silently agreed. Granger had changed a lot. _NO, It's still Granger under all that gorgeous. You need to stop thinking like this. _He shook his head to clear his thoughts and stormed off to bed.

* * *

A full day of settling down and getting accustomed to the new living arrangements had passed. Hermione only interacted with the contestants when they all gathered for the meals of they day. She left dinner on the second night to start planning for the next 5 days. She had 4 group dates to go on and 1 individual date with a man of her choice. She needed to plan where to go and who with. She sighed, took a piece of parchment and got to work.

* * *

The five boys were sitting around in their dorms when an elegant looking snow owl came knocking on the window. Adrian received the parchment and the owl flew off. He unrolled the scroll and smiled widely "We got dates coming up guys, listen up" He spoke to his dorm mates as he read out the scroll.

_Round 1 of group dates begin tomorrow._

_Below are the list of people you will be grouped with on your dates, however, one of you will have the privilege to go on an individual date with our bachelorette. _

_You will find instructions and dress codes for your respective dates below._

_At the end of your dates, the bachelorette will choose one lucky man from the group to save from elimination this Sunday. However, more pressure is on the man chosen for the individual date as if he is not to receive a rose from our bachelorette at the end of the day, he is to pack up and leave the manor immediately._

_Dress well and may the best man win._

_- Landon Jamot  
_

_Tuesday: Oliver Wood, Victor Krum, Lorcan Daragh, Blaise Zabini and Conor Thomas. Dress for sports._

_Wednesday: Theodore Nott, Donal Fionn, Bobby Ferdwal, Kieran Scott and Seamus Finnigan. Dress Comfortable._

_Thursday: Neville Longbottom, Gustav Matthieu, Collin Creevey, Pierre Vincent and Ronan Padraig. Dress Formal._

_Friday: Individual date - Adrian Pucey. Dress casual._

_Saturday: Draco Malfoy, Drayden Jeryweld, Francis Trento and Alexandre Adolhard. Dress for a wild night out._

_- The Bachelorette_

All the men in the room gave Adrian a congratulatory slap on the back for scoring the individual date. Draco just scowled. _Wild night out? The Granger i knew didn't know fun if it bit her in the arse. _With that, he pulled the sheets over his head to tune out the boys going on about their dates to try and get some sleep before the dreaded Saturday.

* * *

Tuesday came and Hermione was actually regretting her decision. She planned this date to see which of the guys would be supportive and helpful as she tried to get over her fear and which would be impatient and snappy. She was going to bring the 5 guys to a quidditch pitch and let them teach her to fly and the rules of quidditch. Ron's quidditch team was scheduled to show up a little later to play a friendly game with them. To say Hermione was shaking in her boots was an understatement.

Oliver was the first one at the meeting point. "Ye' alright there, lass? You look like you've seen your boggart". His sincerity made Hermione smile and shake her head, despite the feelings of fear inside her. Blaise arrived and she was greeted with the brightest smile ever that it was a wonder how his friends weren't visually challenged.

When the other three boys arrived, Hermione pulled out a portkey which took them to their venue. Immediately, their faces lit up. It amused her to see the effect of quidditch on boys. They geared up and immediately it was Victor that took the lead in helping Hermione. Hermione was grateful for the initiative he displayed but later realized that Victor was not allowing her any interactions with the other guys. He snapped at the guys who tried to help Hermione and was close to yelling at her when she could not mount the broom on her first few tries.

Hermione made up some excuse and asked Victor to get her something to drink. He left and immediately Conor stepped in. He was ever the patient man but his instructions were somewhat confusing. Blaise and Oliver tried as well, but were unsuccessful. Finally, it was Lorcan that got through to Hermione and she overcame her first obstacle of the day. Then she listened to Oliver and Blaise lecture on about the rules of quidditch when Ron arrived with the Chudley Canons. They evened out the teams, with the stronger members of the Canons joining Hermione to even out her newbie skills.

The game went on and there were multiple occasions that Hermione thought she may not live to see another day. It was especially when she heard Conor in the distance yell "HERMIONE!" She turned her head to see a rogue bludger headed right towards her. With almost no time to escape, the bludger hit her broom and she found herself plummeting towards the ground.

She was caught by Lorcan seconds before she became one with the ground but she was still shaking too hard to thank him. With that, the game ended and the contestants, along with Hermione, portkey-ed back to the Manor. Hermione recovered from her near death experience long enough to reward Lorcan with the rose of the day. He kissed her knuckles softly as they bid their goodbyes and retired to their rooms.

Hermione plopped down on her bed hard. She was already nervous for the next few dates. If the first group date was this disastrous, what more can she expect?

* * *

Reviews please! second chapter done. Next chapter up maybe later or tomorrow. Criticism most welcome, anything to help me along. 2 more group dates coming along and Adrian's individual date before we get to Draco's POV on his date. Too lengthy? too wordy? in need of more conversation?

i tried to limit conversation in the first group date because it is only a side story to the overall shipping of this story.

my first ever fan fiction, please comment! thanksss 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the harry potter series or any of the character mentioned in it. Some of the characters in here are OC. I do not own the concept of the bachelor/ bachelorette show either.

* * *

Hermione's Wednesday morning started great. She was brimmed with excitement over her date today. She took a quick shower before donning herself in denim shorts and a cotton tee. She grabbed her sunglasses and was ready to go.

Today's date started early so her group was to take off right after breakfast with the rest of the males.

She came in to the dining hall where the breakfast spread was laid and smiled brightly at everyone. No one could ruin her mood today. Her peachy mood attracted the contestants as there was a greater fight to sit next to her at breakfast, or maybe it was because of her shorts.

At breakfast she made light conversation with the contestants seated around her. She did not want to give away the location of todays date just yet. She wanted to judge their reactions by herself! Glancing around, she noticed Donal, Alexandre and Francis eyeing her like they would rather have her for breakfast. Usually she'd be rather flattered, but she didn't feel anything for these men yet. And not to mention, Donal's ogling was more than just slightly uncomfortable. It unnerved her to have a man so much older look at her that way.

Wrapping up breakfast, she informed the men going on todays date to meet at the main doors in ten minutes. She needed to retrieve her portkey before heading out.

This was his chance. He could finally speak to her. Merlin knows he wanted a chance to talk to her about her stupidity ever since the damn ceremony but never got the chance. Stealthily, he headed towards the direction Hermione left towards, silently praying to Salazar no one would interrupt him this time. There were some things he needed to get off his chest.

Hermione was so caught up in anticipation for her date, she didn't feel a presence behind her before it sneaked a hand over her mouth, another around her waist and pulled her into a closet nearby. She shrieked and bit down on his hand hard.

"Ow! Shit! What the hell was that for?!" Draco grumbled while shaking the pain in his hand away

"Malfoy? That was for trying to kidnap me! What the hell are you doing?" She almost yelled. She was about to lecture him some more when he interrupted.

"Will you shut up for a second and let me speak?" Draco narrowed his eyes.

Hermione stomped her foot in anger before conceding. "You have two minutes."

"What the hell are you trying to pull?"

Baffled, she eyed him curiously "Me? What did _I_ do? You're the one attacking people and stuffing them in closets!"

"You know damn well what you've done, Granger" He snarled her name. "Why did you keep me around when I clearly told you that I'm not at all bothered with this ridiculous show?"

Hermione leaned back and crossed her arms smugly. Draco inwardly gulped as this action only pushed out her chest more. He shook his head and tried to remember why he was here in the first place.

"Payback" and with that, she pushed him back so hard that he fell over before leaving the broom closet and slamming the door shut. How could he forget the strength that tiny girl had? She was small but she sure did pack one mean punch, a lesson his cheek learnt the hard way back in third year.

Hermione left Draco to wallow in his own misery and faced the five contestants of the day. All were dressed in shorts and a tee, except for Donal, who looked out of place in his buttoned shirt and long brown pants. Did he not get the dress code?

She took them by the arm and they portkey-ed to one of Hermione's favorite places on earth - Universal Studios in Los Angeles. Yes, Muggle America. She took in the faces of her dates. The half-bloods in her group were either excited or expressionless whereas the purebloods were a little more than frightened. It was likely that they've never had much chance to interact with muggles and were terrified to face this many of them at one go.

Theodore and Kieran were rooted firmly to the ground, staring around like lost children. Hermione rolled her eyes before looping her arms around both of theirs and pulling them to the first ride. She decided to start with something mild, and then work up on the difficulty level. _Better not scare off the purebloods just yet_, she chuckled.

Theodore and Kieran began to relax and realized the place was more fun than frightening. After a brief stop for lunch, Hermione wanted to ride something that made Donal and Bobby sit out. It was an indoor extreme roller coaster. _Oh pfft, such babies. How bad can an indoor ride even get?!_ It was finally their turn and they took their seats in the cart. Hermione was seated in between Seamus and Kieran with Theodore on the other side of Kieran. Kieran, ever the smooth man, gracefully put his arm around her shoulder, on the pretense of keeping her safe on the ride, earning him glares from Seamus and Theodore.

Then it began. The cart moved in all directions possible and continued to pick up speed as it carried on. Kieran even had to remove his arm from Hermione to place a death grip on the bars in front of him. Hermione was too lost in her own bliss to notice the expression on Seamus's face. The ride finally came to a halt but before they could stand up to leave, Seamus turned and puked his lunch all over Hermione's lap. Hermione didn't know whether to scream or cry. She was wearing shorts! His lunch was touching her skin. She cringed and ran away.

Seconds later, Theodore appeared at her side. In her panicked state, Hermione seemed to forget that a simple spell would clean the mess right up and just stood there, grumbling about her ruined clothes. Theodore grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from any muggles before casting a Scourgify on her clothes and it became as if nothing ever happened.

Hermione was overjoyed. Her day wasn't ruined after all. She jumped and hugged Theodore tightly "Thank you so much, Theodore!" She smiled as his cheek turned a shade of pink. "Theo. Just call me Theo". Smiling, Hermione pulled on his hand "Come on Theo! We have so much more to do!" and took off to where Kieran was waiting.

After his little accident, Seamus decided to wait out while Theo, Kieran and the bachelorette explored the rest of the place. Hermione decided to turn things up a notch. There, standing in front of the trio, was the tallest and biggest ride in the whole arena. Theo gulped as he could hear the screams of the people currently on it. _This girl is going to kill me_, he thought as he got pulled along to join the queue.

The queue was taking quite some time to pass when Theo decided to make a trip to the loo. His nerves were frayed in anticipation for this death ride, and he left Kieran and Hermione alone for a few moments.

Kieran bumped her shoulder playfully "Finally! Thought I'd never get time alone with you."

"Well, We're alone now, at least until Theo gets back" Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

"Let's make the best of it. Tell me something interesting about yourself no one else knows" He suggested.

Hermione raised an eyebrow "And just why should I do that?"

"Because you're here to give everyone a chance, and I'd love to be here for a long time so I just have to know everything about you, don't I?" and he smiled innocently.

Chuckling slightly, She replied "Fine, but you tell me one too. Umm.. Okay, no one knows this since I'm supposed to be the brightest witch of my age and all that, but I cheated on a test once in second year. Sorry, can't think of anything juicier to tell you right now, just my lame school stories" while laughing nervously.

Kieran dropped his jaw mockingly "NO! _The_ Hermione Granger cheated?! I don't know what to believe in this world anymore!"

Hermione hit his arm playfully before joining in his laughter. Theo reappeared and soon it was their turn. Theo and Kieran shut their eyes tightly throughout the whole ride but came away admitting it was probably the best of the day.

Portkey-ing back to the manor, she pulled out the rose of the day and had a mental debate between Kieran and Theodore, before presenting it to Theodore, who beamed proudly and accepted it. All six of them were about to head back to their rooms when someone tapped Hermione on the shoulder. She turned and came face to face with Kieran.

At her curious expression, He simply stated "You told me yours, but I never got to tell you mine, and I always keep my end of a deal."

Realization dawned on her as she recalled their last conversation. "Oh! I completely forgot. Alright, go on then." she prompted.

He leaned in to her ears before whispering softly "I've never told anyone this but I think no girl I've ever met even comes close in comparison with you. Good night, Hermione." and he kissed her cheek before walking off.

Hermione stood, unable to move. This guy sure had his special charms. Something in Hermione fluttered slightly before she headed to her quarters for a much needed shower.

* * *

Hermione decided to spend most of the next day in her own quarters, as the group date of the day was to take place in the evening. She spent her day writing owls to Harry, Ron, Ginny and Pansy before picking out her outfit. She decided to go with a sleeveless long red silk gown. She left her hair down this time and after a few more accessories, she was ready to go. She opened the door only to bump into a hard body and almost fell back if not for the arms that helped to right her.

Draco was on his way to the kitchen for an apple when he felt something,_ or someone_, bump into his side. As if naturally, His hands went out to stop the figure from falling. Then he looked up. It was her. But gone was any remaining thoughts in his head of her being the same stuck up know-it-all from school, as what he saw now was a full grown woman. She looked amazing, not that he'd ever admit to thinking that.

Hermione pulled away and thanked him briefly. She was embarrassed enough at being such a klutz, she didn't want to wait around for him to throw insults in her face. She met with the boys and left for the venue, the newest Italian restaurant in Hogsmeade that she was dying to try. She was going to speed date all of the five guys, giving each 15 minutes and one course of the meal.

First up was Neville. There was nothing awkward in the air as they caught up like the long lost friends they were. Hermione felt slightly uncomfortable when Neville attempted to flirt with her because she basically knew the boy for years. The transition from friends to more than that was not easy.

After Neville sat Collin. Hermione barely knew the him, other than the fact that he used to be on Harry's trail back in Hogwarts. He was much more grown up now and that much was evident. The boy was sweet but just could not stop talking. Whether it was just his nerves or otherwise, Hermione did not know. Seems some habits stick through the years.

Pierre took over his seat and shared his knowledge on culinary arts. Hermione loved an intelligent man, especially one she could keep a conversation with. She liked someone she could learn from and someone who was not intimidated by her intellect. That was usually the problem she faced in getting decent dates. She would be able to see right through their pretentious facades. Pierre was like a breath of fresh air.

Gustav, the poet extraordinaire, began speaking in limericks and haikus. It was amusing at first but Hermione was slowly getting frustrated. _Does this man ever speak in proper sentences?!_

Ronan was the final one of the night, and what a way to end the third group date! This man surely lived up to his name. Hermione could not stop laughing even for a second. Her sides were starting to hurt. She hadn't laughed like this in years! Pleased with himself, Ronan offered Hermione his hand and together with the rest of the contestants, they took off back to the manor.

The third rose went to ronan who did a little happy dance, to the amusement of the others. It really was great having someone like him around.

* * *

Draco groaned as a noise in his dorm woke him the next morning. Adrian was up and fretting about his date. Apparently, the poor lad had fancied the bushy-haired witch since fifth year but was too much of a coward to go against his deatheater father to befriend a muggleborn. Now, the boy couldn't believe his luck. He was actually getting a second chance!

For a reason unknown to Draco, it was a little unsettling to see a person so infatuated with the bookworm. He just tossed a pillow at the pacing Adrian, yelling at him to get his arse back to sleep.

In the early evening, Adrian was dressed in a simple pair of jeans, a tee shirt with a jacket to top it off. He was desperately hoping he matched well with the dress code. He wanted to give her a good first impression. He watched as she descended down the stairs and smiled shyly. Hermione was equally nervous today. It was her first date completely alone with another contestant. The other dates weren't too bad as she had the others around. But not today. Maybe that's what influenced her decision on the activity for the date.

He took her arm in his, as Hermione side-apparated him to a dark alley. Adrian was confused. _What is she planning?_ Before he could voice this out, she pulled him into a brighter area and he looked up. A Cinema. _What in Merlin's name is this?_ He guessed it must be something muggle but he went along with it.

Hermione was secretly pleased Adrian did not protest the muggle activity. She bought two tickets to a movie she heard appeals to both males and females. She didn't want to bore him with a chick flick, but she wasn't too fond of an all out action movie either. She chose some snacks, which he graciously paid for and they went to find their seats.

"So, What am I supposed to be doing?" Looking around, all Adrian could see were people seated like he was, staring up at a large black wall. _These muggles are so weird._

"It's called a movie. It's like a long moving picture with sound that tells you a story. Just sit back and wait for it to begin" Hermione explained and threw a piece of popcorn at him.

With that, Adrian loosened up and laughed. They got to talking and realized they had more in common than they thought.

"I always admired you back in school. You were basically the reason I never believed in all that I'm-pureblood-and-better-than-you shite. You basically kicked everyone's arse with your grades and literally with Malfoy in the face! Yeah, he was the laughing stock of Slytherin house for quite a while after that." Adrain laughed at the memory.

Hermione looked up at him in awe and regretted judging him to be one of those typical evil little Slytherins. He seemed like the total opposite. "Im glad you don't feel that way anymore, or else this" she gestured to the both of them "could never work out."

Adrian muttered so softy, he doubted she could even hear "That is the last thing I'd want to happen." Hermione did hear him, but just as she was about to question him, the screen came to life and they watched the movie in silence.

Adrian gushed over his first muggle experience on the way back to the manor. It was more than he expected. He bid her goodbye before heading to his room, bummed that he had not received a rose. Hermione was curious over his sudden mood change when she remembered. She ran up to him and placed her hand in his.

"Im so sorry, Adrian, it totally slipped my mind. Sometimes I forget I'm even on this show. Here" She said, handing him a rose. "You earned it."

Adrian was so relieved and enamored by her affectionate expression that he couldn't help himself. He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before pulling away and running, ashamed at his impulsive actions, all the way back to his dorm.

Hermione's face flushed brightly. The show was getting more interesting and she couldn't help think she could come out from this with the right guy after all. She mentally reminded herself to apologize to Ginny and Pansy for being so short with them over this whole thing. She headed back to her room, oblivious to a pair of grey eyes watching her.

* * *

ahhhhh! I'm done! How was this chapter? Tried to show the building of Draco's feelings and the internal battle he's fighting while also building on Hermione's relationship with some other contestants. Draco needs competition after all! Apologies for any small mistakes I may have overlooked along the way, will sort them out asap. this chapter may be a bit lengthy but I had to get all these dates out of the way first. Comment! Criticize! Review! Thanks guys! ;)

UP NEXT:  
Day four of group dates and the second rose ceremony. Who will be sent home this time?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the harry potter series or any of the character mentioned in it. Some of the characters in here are OC. I do not own the concept of the bachelor/ bachelorette show either.

* * *

Draco was turning the corner back to his room, when he heard a feminine voice. He hid and saw the entire interaction between Adrian and Hermione. He didn't know what to feel. He was torn between laughing in Adrian's face over how pathetic that was, and yelling at him at his audacity to kiss her so soon into the show. _It was just the first week, for Merlin's sake!_ His sour mood didn't diminish until the next evening.

He got dressed and arrived at the waiting area earlier than everyone else. _The sooner I get here, the sooner I can get this over with,_ he thought. He was hoping to use tonight's date to annoy Hermione to her breaking point. He just had to leave soon. He was slowly going mental with every passing day. Between Theo gushing about receiving a rose and Francis bragging about all the famous wizards he's met, he was so close to snapping and getting in an all out brawl with his dorm mates.

Draco was pretty satisfied with his choice of clothes and Hermione's face when she arrived only served to inflate his ego further. Usually, Draco would seize the opportunity to mock her, saying something like _Like what you see, Granger?_ but today, he was too busy wiping the drool off his chin. Hermione was dressed like a vivacious vixen ready for a wild night out. Draco was a man with testosterones after all. He couldn't help himself._ Gods, She's hot. UGH!_ He finally admitted to himself he was attracted to the new and improved Hermione Granger.

Hermione was drawn to his appearance the moment she saw him. _Wow,_ she thought. He looked like one of those flawless male models worthy of the cover of Witch Weekly. But he was still Malfoy after all. She took a look around. She was impressed! The males on this last group date had to be the best looking of the lot.

She was cautious in picking the activity of today's date as they were all purebloods. She did not want to drag them into muggle clubs only to have them whine and complain the whole time. So she settled with the hottest wizarding club in London, Le Sorcière Noire. She wanted a guy she could loosen up and have fun with and that was what she was looking out for today. She had no trouble upon entry as the club was owned by Pansy's sister and they visited frequently enough to be on good terms with the wizard bouncer.

She led the men to a booth that was least disturbed by the loud booming music. Drayden, for one, seemed in his comfort zone. The rocker loved loud music and lived to party. Alexandre, on the other hand, seemed uninterested with the bachelorette and was off taking pictures with his fans. Draco just sat quietly, the dark expression on his face blending in with the low lighting in the place.

After the first round of drinks, Drayden offered to dance with Hermione and she graciously accepted, leaving Draco and Francis at the booth. Eventually, a woman offered Francis to dance. Her friend offered Draco but he rejected her quite bitterly. Francis left to dance with the girls and was not seen for the most of the night.

Hermione felt alive and comfortable with Drayden. He was a great dancer, and she was no less. As they started to dance, it eventually became more sensual than they intended without either party noticing. Catcalls from other club patrons is what broke the spell. Hermione blushed furiously and Drayden scratched the back of his neck, looking all awkward. They turned toward each other at the same time and burst into laughter before dancing again, albeit more carefully this time.

Draco watched it all from the comfort of the booth. He was still planning on annoying the witch so she'd eliminate him tomorrow but he got a bad feeling in his gut at the thought of doing something to make her mad. _Was it guilt? Hah! No way. Years of making fun of the girl and now I feel guilty?_ When he saw Hermione and Drayden dancing so intimately, he unconsciously gripped his drink hard. All his plans when out the window. He finished his drink in one gulp and made a beeline to the pair.

Hermione was too caught up in the moment to notice that the body behind hers and the hands on her waist had changed. It was when the song was coming to a close that she noticed the difference. The body against hers was about the same size, but harder and more built. The hands on her waist felt like it was holding her differently too. She spun around and came face to face with Draco.

He stopped his dance to stare at her when she turned around. The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Hermione leaned towards his ear and nearly yelled out to try and beat the loud music.

"Dancing. What does it look like?" He shrugged nonchalantly and started to dance again.

Hermione was beyond confused. Just a few minutes ago, he was sitting in the corner, cursing at every thing possible and _now_ he wants to dance?

Draco just rolled his eyes "Don't look so shocked, Granger. I wasn't going to sit there and do nothing all night. I was forced to be here, might as well make the most of it."

Hermione was not convinced but before she could say anything else, he spun her around with her back to his front. Leaning in to her ear, he spoke again "And besides, I was not going to waste my time with the filthy excuses for witches around here tonight. Malfoys only get the best." and that was the last thing he said all night.

_Was that a compliment? Oh, Merlin, it was!_ Looks like Malfoy was a lot more tolerable to be around when he's half pissed. She chuckled before dancing earnestly. _Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. He'll probably turn back to the evil little cockroach that he is in the morning. _

Hermione danced with Draco for a bit, and then with Francis. Alexandre was probably still with a fan but at this point, Hermione could care less.

They wrapped up their night and arrived back at the manor as the clock struck 2 in the morning. Francis and Alexandre headed back immediately, too drunk to stand around any longer. Hermione presented Drayden with the rose of the day and he swept her off her feet in a tight hug. She was put back down and left alone with the blonde ferret yet again. He shuffled on his feet before eyeing her intently. She hated to think but she was actually intimidated. But Draco just stood there. After a couple if seconds, he nodded in acknowledgement and left her standing in the hallway.

_I'll never understand men_, She huffed

And just like that, the first week on the show was up. Tomorrow she would have to cut 5 guys from the running yet again. She wondered what the viewers of the show thought about her. Was she a tease or a slut to lead so many guys on like that? Was she being too hard on some of them?

* * *

The next day passed by quickly and in a blink of an eye, it was time for the rose ceremony. It was actually getting on her nerves to have to doll up each time for such a short while. She would go in her jeans and jumper if she had her way, _but no_, the show had a reputation to uphold.

The 20 contestants stood in front of her looking picture perfect. It was that time again. She had to make a choice. Five of the contestants were already saved from tonight's elimination by receiving roses on their dates. She only hoped the rest of them wouldn't take it too badly. They were nice guys but she had to keep the guys she felt more of a connection with. The tray of roses appeared next to her, the host finished his brief and she received her cue. With a deep breath, she called out the first contestant and it began.

After saving Blaise, Conor and Pierre, Hermione started to panic. Being the over prepared and diligent girl she always was, she had already decided who to keep and who to eliminate today so this should have been a piece of cake, but she was having second thoughts on one particular contestant. After last night, she actually wanted to keep Draco. He was a fun one to be around. Hermione wanted to get to know the civil side of him better. But he made such a fuss about being here all week. Should she be so selfish as to keep him here against his will yet again? _Screw it, he doesn't scare me._

"Draco Malfoy" she called out. He stomped out from his spot and stopped in front of her with an angry expression. Though he seemed upset, she couldn't help but think his face seemed softer than at the last rose ceremony. He didn't snatch the rose off either. He simply took it, and strode off.

She proceeded to save Kieran, Oliver, Francis, Bobby, Donal, and finally, Neville. She bid her goodbyes to Seamus, Victor, Gustav, Collin and Alexandre. The eliminations were getting harder each time. She was down to 15 guys. Now, she had to plan for the week ahead. Being the bachelorette was tiring!

* * *

UP NEXT: 

The second week of competition.

Rivalry between the contestants?

Viewers get to influence a part of the show this time! Who gets the individual dates?

Which contestant comes with all the wrong intentions?

Thanks for all the support for my first story! You guys have been great, Keep the reviews coming! Loving em!

Already brainstorming ideas for future stories

Question: Other than Draco, who is your favorite of the men so far?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the harry potter books or movie series, or the characters in it that are mentioned here. Am not making any money out of this story. I do not own the bachelor/bachelorette tv show concept either.

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Hermione awoke when she felt a weight dip into her bed. In her sleep induced head, she felt nothing amiss and just rolled over on her side. _Wait, I'm the only girl in the whole manor._ She shot straight up, a scream ready to leave her mouth when she saw it was Ginny and Pansy who made their appearance. She let out the breath she was holding, ready to kill the girls, best friends or not.

"Stop making that face, it's not attractive" Pansy remarked, scrunching up her face in a bad imitation of Hermione's.

"It's 8 in the morning, I don't need to be attractive yet so go away" Hermione whined before pulling her sheets up to her head, only to have it yanked away by Ginny.

"Get your lazy butt up and get ready. You have the day off from the show today. We're getting you out of the manor and going shopping!" Ginny squealed.

Hermione shot right out of bed. She was not a shopaholic like her two dear best friends but the idea of taking a break from all the guys and just hanging with her girls was too good to resist. She was not one to pass up a day off from the scrutiny of the viewers of the show.

A couple of hours later found the girls huddled over drinks at a cafe. They had been watching the show diligently, mostly to make sure Hermione was not messing up any chance she had with any guy, but now they wanted to hear her version of her first week in the manor and her opinions of the men.

"Some of them are really nice guys but there's none yet that i really feel a connection with" She shrugged. "I'm still not going to thank you for getting me into this, its exhausting!"

"We did what we had to do. Its been 3 years, 'Mione. He's moved on, and you need to move on too." said Pansy. When Hermione was about to protest, she interrupted "I know you've moved on and you dont have any feelings for Ron anymore, but you need to find someone else in your life to truly leave the past behind"

Hermione leaned back, swallowing her protests. 3 years. Honestly, she didn't feel the pinch. 3 years seems like a long time but she was too caught up with work to notice. At first, she used work as a distraction from the heartache, but soon found work extremely rewarding and worked towards getting a promotion. Only because of her sheer hardwork and willpower was she able to land her head of department post.

But Pansy's words hit a sore spot. It was not that she still harboured feelings for Ron. No, the break-up was mutual. But the ache came from not seeing someone you became accustomed to being with every other day. After all, they were best friends before they came clean with their feelings for each other. Seperating caused their friendship to suffer as well. They managed to get by soon enough, though they never were as close as they used to be when back in Hogwarts. Almost a year later, Ron started dating the female chaser on his quidditch team. Hermione was happy for him, truly. The look he had on when he spoke of his girlfriend was one she never saw when they were dating. So, sure, she was a little jealous. She too wanted someone to be affectionate with. She wanted to feel protected . Not that she needed protection, she was a war heroine after all. But who wouldn't enjoy having someone who was obsessed with their wellbeing? The feeling of adoration was one she missed, but never admitted to.

Sure, it took a few years, but Pansy and Ginny caught on. Guess she couldn't blame them for taking such a drastic step. She already turned down numerous dates they set up for her. She should have known that they'd trick her into something like this one day.

She tried to hide her emotions, pretending to hate this whole shebang. She told them she'd rather have the company of a good book and some hot chocolate in the warmth of her flat. She told them she'd rather be at work to actually do something productive. All lies, of course. She wanted a life partner just as much as the next girl. Her lies were her defence mechanism. She only said all of it to appear ignorant. But on the inside, she was afraid of putting her heart on the line. She was afraid of judgement and rejection.

She still thought of herself as the ugly, bushy-haired buck toothed girl that everyone treated like one of the guys. It even took Ron until the end of sixth year to even figure out she was a girl. She was afraid of meeting new people, only to have them judge her on her less-than-average appearance. Self-esteem in terms of her appearance was her weakness. She was not a high-fashion princess like Pansy, or a red bombshell like Ginny. She was pretty, but she never considered herself one of those girls worthy of a second look.

Pansy and Ginny tried to convince her otherwise on numerous occasions, but she wouldn't have any of it. "_Bollocks_" She'd say. They were truly baffled as to how the brightest witch of her age could be this blind. How did she not notice the looks of men ready to ravish her as she walked down Diagon Alley? How did she not see what everyone else could when she looked in the mirror? These were rhetorical questions though. They knew exactly why. Hermione only ever spoke of the incident that changed her once, to Pansy and Ginny. It was never mentioned again.

"So, Draco's on the show huh?" mused Pansy with a sly grin on her face, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Ugh, Don't remind me." She grimaced and took a sit of her coffee.

"Oh, please. We saw the episode at the night club. Matter of fact, half the wizarding population probably did. Your show _is_ extremely popular, after all" Ginny pointed out. "You and Malfoy getting close, huh?" while wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione flushed slightly before scoffing "As if. He was only tolerable because he was drunk. Keep him drunk throughout the rest of the show, maybe _then_ we'd get along."

Pansy just sipped her drink to cover up a giggle. She knew Draco, better than he knew himself sometimes. They practically grew up together. He was as hard-headed and ignorant to reality as Hermione was sometimes. She knew all his mannerisms like he was an open book. She could read him so clearly, even through the show he was now on. She recalled her own reaction when she saw that particular episode. She couldn't help smirk when she saw the dark look in Draco's eyes when Drayden was getting handsy with Hermione. Her jaw dropped when he pushed Drayden away to dance with Her. She clapped her hands in glee when she saw him awkwardly nod at Hermione at the end of the date. _The boy was smitten!_ and probably didn't even realize it yet.

She chose to keep this to herself today._ Let them work it out_, she thought. If the two chose to remain stubborn for any longer, she would be forced to step in. Her two best friends deserved their happiness, and she would do whatever it took to make it happen. With Ginny as her partner in crime of course. She mentally reminded herself to let Ginny in on what she found out about Draco.

"Alright, fine. No more talk about the ferret." said Ginny, earning herself a glare from Pansy for the jab at her other best friend. "What about the other guys? Tell me a few of your favorites."

"Favorites? Merlin, Ginny, you make it sound like we are comparing candy at Honeydukes" the girls laughed as Hermione got to thinking.

"Lorcan from the first date probably. He was patient and a real sweetheart. Oliver was really great that day too, he kept encouraging me when we were up in the air." Hermione was about to continue and mention Blaise when she snapped her mouth shut. She didn't want to bring up Blaise in front of Pansy again, only to have her rant on what a little slimeball he is.

"Theo and Kieran stood out from the group of day two. They were terrified but made almost no protests and stood by me despite their fears. That's a great quality to have in a partner." She continued speaking, more to herself as she thought of her dates.

"Pierre and Ronan from day three. They were entirely different from any of those guys you made me go out with. Their distinct personalities were like a breath of fresh air"

"Day four was Adrian and I have to say I'm intrigued. He turned out to be exactly what I did not expect from a guy like him. And-" She trailed off as she remembered how that date ended and blushed slightly "-and... umm.. He's great."

"Drayden was such a fun guy! I could see myself doing the craziest things with him. I probably should have took him with me on the date to Universal Studios huh? He's probably an adrenaline junkie. And then there's Malfoy..." She trailed off, seeing the knowing faces on her best friends. "Malfoy is Malfoy, that's it. I think I've covered most of them."

Pansy and Ginny shared a look, before grinning widely at Hermione, only to receive a slap on their arms in return.

The last stop of their day out was at Madam Malkin's. They forced Hermione into the dressing room before shoving close to 30 outfits for her to try on. Without these girls, Hermione would be walking around in an old shirt and sweats everywhere. They approved some of them and finally it was time to head back to the manor. Her day off was great. _Now back to work_, she sighed.

* * *

So I decided to give an insight into Hermione. her thoughts on the guys, her feelings on her old show, a little on her past and such.

Hope this chapter was alright! Thanks again for reading! You guys are too sweet!

Review and let me know! Is there anything you would like to see happen in the coming chapters? let me know I might consider it :)

Next chapter we return to the men and the second week on the show will really begin


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the harry potter series or the concept to the bachelor/bachelorette show.

Thanks again to my beta reader **Fruitality**!

In response to one specific review:

**Loric11**: I'm sorry that it upsets you like this, but i do not plan to have Ron come back and fight for Hermione. I made their break up mutual and made him happy with his current girl. I have a certain storyline im following for this story so i apologize it that makes you unhappy. you are at free will to seize reading this fic if you are not satisfied. In all honesty, you have not been exactly polite in your reviews so again, apologies if this story does not follow what you wish for.

Okay, end of that. Back to the story! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Draco got off bed the next day, feeling better than the rest. He was still a little peeved she decided to keep him though. _Oh, well. More fun for me then_, he thought menacingly as he conjured ways to get a rise out of the bachelorette. He would never admit this to anyone, but even back in Hogwarts, he picked on her the most because she was the only one with the intellectual capacity to send witty remarks or insults back to him. He would act offended or ignorant in front of his cronies. In reality, he was amused. At least she could fight her own battles. Not like that red weasel. He liked someone who he could spar with on an equal level.

His good mood was thanks to the day off they had yesterday. He took the time to check on his businesses and his parents, then met with some friends to head to a bar where he drank to the point he forgot he had to get back to the manor. He was suffering from a hangover today, but he was still glad to leave the manor and meet with the people outside. Seeing the same people everyday was getting annoying.

As he put on some grey slacks, his head pounded furiously. He was not coherent enough to remember he was shirtless and left the dorm in search for a hangover potion.

Hermione woke up and for the first time in days, she was not up groaning over what her girls forced her into. Instead, she was quite looking forward to this new week to begin. This may have had something to do with the realization she got yesterday that she really needed this. Hermione took a shower before putting on her favorite red top. Anyone who knew her knew that she only ever wore this top on her good days. Checking the time with her wand, she left her private quarters to head to breakfast.

On the way to the main hall, she thought she heard footsteps dragging along the corridor. With her war instincts kicking in, she took her wand in her right hand before ducking around the corner. She did not even stop to think she had no reason to do this because the person walking about was probably a cameraman or one of the contestants. She had no idea what made her stay hidden in her spot to observe the blond haired male that was the cause of the noise.

He did not have that scowl fixed into his face today. Instead, his face was fixed in some sort of grimace like he was in pain. His hair was disheveled and the action of running his hand through it did nothing to tame his locks. Hermione couldn't help but stare. He seemed more laid back and even a little... happier? Though he was in pain, he no longer had that dark aura that had been surrounding him the past few days. Seeing his hair all ruffled up made Hermione want to laugh but she held back. She didn't want to be caught looking at him like that. Draco Malfoy was usually always seen as the proper aristocrat that he is so seeing him in such a state was extremely rare. Hermione was about to look away when she looked down instead, only to find the defined lines of his abs out in the open. Her jaw dropped. She knew the guy was fit from the day they were pressed together in the night club but she would not have imagined this! He had the body of an athlete. Even Ron, for the quidditch player that he is, was not built as much. The pale skin of his chest made it that much more appealing as it made him look brighter. Her gaze travelled downwards only to reach a trail of little blond hair near the waistband of his slacks leading to... she looked away, her face as red as her once Gryffindor house color. She had seen too much. She mentally slapped herself for even ogling the man for so long. She blamed it on being single for so long. _Yes, that_ _has to be the reason. There's no way I find Malfoy attractive... Right?_ She sighed and got out of her hiding spot when the coast was clear.

Draco retrieved the potion and felt worlds better after downing it. That was when he snapped back to reality. He was getting late for breakfast. He rushed back to his dorm to grab a cotton shirt before heading to the main hall where everyone was already seating and waiting for him. He received many scowls and glares from the other contestants for his late arrival but really, he could care less what these idiots thought. Host Landon Jamot stood up as he took his seat.

"As Mr Malfoy has arrived, fashionably late, I might add -" He received an eye roll from Draco at this "- I can begin to explain your next week on the show. Please help yourself to the feast but do pay attention to the details I am about to share."

"There will be no group or individual dates that happen outside the manor for today. The Bachelorette will be given time this evening to plan her dates and they will begin tomorrow at the time of her choice."

"Today, each of you will get time with our bachelorette to simply sit down and talk at various locations in the manor. As you may have noticed, this manor is vastly equipped and is a sight for the eyes. I feel there will be no lack of places you may spend time with the bachelorette at. Of course, all will be captured by our crew, so do not fear the cameras. They will remain a distance away to not interrupt your time."

"Please be seated after breakfast is over. The bachelorette will give out numbers from 1 to 15 which will represent the order in which you may speak with the bachelorette. If there are no questions, I will leave you in the hands of our bachelorette. Enjoy the rest of your meal." He said, before exiting the doors of the hall.

Breakfast resumed and so did the chatter. Hermione was a little tense because today would be the first time spending time alone with all of them. She was nervous enough for her date with Adrian last week. Now that fear was amplified by 15. The leftover food disappeared magically and Hermione was given her cue.

_1 - Oliver_

_2 - Drayden_

_3 - Pierre_

_4 - Neville_

_5 - Conor_

_6 - Theo_

_7 - Bobby_

_8 - Kieran_

_9 - Blaise_

_10 - Ronan_

_11 - Francis_

_12 - Lorcan_

_13 - Adrian_

_14 - Draco_

_15 - Donal_

The contestants were dismissed and Hermione was given 20 minutes to freshen up before her first date of the day, Oliver.

She and Oliver went to sit on a seat on the balcony in the east wing of the manor. That way they were unlikely to be disturbed by the other contestants. She shifted on her seat nervously when Oliver noticed and gave her a reassuring smile. She felt her worries leave her and they got to talking.

All the while, Hermione was trying to imagine her life after the show if she were to pick Oliver. Sure, he had enough money to make them financially stable but money was never the issue with Hermione. She wanted someone to love her, to stand by her. She wanted someone she could go to sleep next to and wake up next to everyday and feel a sense of comfort in.

Oliver was a gentleman. He tried to direct the conversation to talk more about Hermione whenever he started to babble on and she appreciated that. Being the big quidditch obsessed man that he was and still is, it was all he could talk about when the conversation was directed at him. Everyone with eyes back at Hogwarts could see how in love the man was with the sport. He even stepped on someone who was on the floor by accident when he was caught up in a quidditch related conversation. Hermione loved the passion he displayed for the sport but she did not want to be put in second place to a game. That was a worry when she thought of Oliver as her life partner. Would he always be more focused on quidditch? Hermione never truly had any love for the game, she was only forced to go to games when Ginny, Harry or Ron were playing. She went for moral support, never out of her own will. Would her dislike for quidditch come to be a conflict between her and this man in front of her? She could not know for sure. But for now, she decided he was pretty great. She bid him goodbye with a friendly hug and a kiss on the cheek.

She met Drayden on the way back to the main hall and they took off to the entertainment room. They sat on the couch and Drayden put on some of his favorite music for Hermione to listen to. Like Oliver, it was great to see a guy so passionate for something he loves. It meant a lot to Hermione that he asked her for her opinion on the music. He looked like he really cared what she thought. Going through the entire music collection, she found out they had a lot in common. Drayden was a rocker, but he occasionally liked slower classic tunes that Hermione could appreciate. They got along well and conversation flew smoothly. Though there was one concern eating at her in the back of her brain. Drayden was an aspiring musician. He certainly had the talent and the passion, but had currently no occupation. Would he be searching for his big break for the rest of his life? Everyone who knew about Hermione Granger knew about her status in the Ministry of Magic and that she took home a healthy sum of money at the end of every month. If she would choose Drayden at the end of it all, would he become a moocher and live off her earnings? One thing Hermione could not stand was a man that could not stand on his own two feet.

They ended their alone time and Hermione decided to walk with him up to the corridor where the dorms were. Halfway there, Drayden took her hand in his and looked away with a slight pink tint on his cheek. Who knew a guy like him could get embarrassed over something like this? She expected him to be pouring with confidence at every aspect. Deciding not to embarrass him further, she didn't pull away until they arrived at the corridor and bid their goodbyes.

So far her first two dates had gone pretty well, but she had some thinking to do. She was here to look for someone to live the rest of her life with. She needed to make well informed decisions. It was times like these she really lived up to her know-it-all bookworm status.

As she entered her private quarters for a change of clothes, she failed to notice a pair of shoes sneaking from around the corner. As she entered, the man smirked and brushed his brown hair. He could not wait for his time with the girl. With his malicious thoughts, he left his spot and went to wait.

She changed into a yellow sundress before deeming herself fit for the rest of her dates. She met Pierre at the little table in the kitchens. _Appropriate choice of venue_, she thought, amused. He sat her down and they began to talk. Hermione found out there was more to the man than his vast culinary knowledge. In fact, the man was pretty knowledgable in a variety of topics. They spoke of many things, ranging from Astronomy to Divination (which Hermione seriously criticized). To say Hermione was impressed was an understatement. The guy could actually keep up with her! She even had to get him to explain things at some points. It was a refreshing change indeed. She loved just being herself and talking without a care in the world. With Ron, she always had to dumb herself down a little so he wouldn't feel too offended. He was supposed to be the man in the relationship after all. _Oh well, that phase of my life is over. _With Pierre as her possible life partner, they would never have a dull conversation. They would always debate over a range of topics and stimulate each others mind constantly. It would really be great having someone like her own self around sometimes. So far, she was unable to spot any flaws in Pierre. _Only time will tell, I guess. _

She concluded her date with Pierre and head off to meet Neville. She greeted him with a brief hug. They were still slightly awkward. After all, Hermione needed to stop viewing him as just a friend to let him have an equal chance. Having a life partner that was also a good friend, how great would that be? The probability of them ever engaging in conflict would be minimal. With this thought in mind, she decided to start seeing Neville as a man, and not the goofy boy he was back in Hogwarts. The physical changes were extremely evident of course, so it shouldn't be too hard. They played a short game of exploding snap, reminiscent of their time back in the Gryffindor common room. The game helped to calm their nerves and they got more comfortable with each other. Sitting side by side near the fireplace, she allowed him to place his arm around her shoulders as she leaned on him. Her action proved as an acceptance of Neville in a way other than friends. At the end of the session, there was no more tension in the air. At this rate, Neville could in fact be a strong contender on the show.

She completed 4 of her 15 sessions and left the lounge with her arm on Neville's. All the while, she failed to noticed the same pair of shoes and brown hair looking intently at her. He simply could not wait for his turn.

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A/N: Chapter 6 is over! took slightly longer than my previous updates. Apologies! Hope to get my next chapter up sooner.

Next chapter: the rest of the individual sessions with the boys and the announcement of group/individual dates to look forward to for the second week on the show.

Who is the man stalking hermione? hmmmmm :)

See you soon! Review! Thanks so much!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the harry potter series or the concept of the bachelor/bachelorette television series.

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She went around the back of the manor and met Conor. He laid down a little blanket for them to sit on and their session began. Hermione could tell Conor really had a heart of gold and may just be one of the most sincere people she had ever met, but man was he boring! Just 10 minutes with the lad and already she wanted to leave. He could barely keep up a proper conversation. He kept stuttering in his speech and fiddling with his shirt. It was starting to make Hermione feel nervous too. Wrapping up the relatively disastrous session, they left for the main hall for lunch with the rest of the contestants.

The lunch feast was, as usual, spectacular. Croissants, curry, pies, pizzas, ravioli and much more as far as the eye can see. Everyone was in high spirits as they ate. Hermione was in conversation with host Landon when she felt someone's eyes boring holes into her. She turned to find the source but she wasn't able to. The culprit had turned away too quickly. As soon as she turned back to Landon, she felt it again. Must be my own imagination. She tried to disregard it but she could feel the chills prickle at the back of her neck. She felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped. She stood abruptly and left the hall. She needed some fresh air. _I must be going mad._

_Finally! She left the hall. She's alone. I've got her right where I want her. Screw waiting for my individual session. I've got my chance and I'm gonna take it_. He pushed his chair back, getting ready to follow the bachelorette when he noticed someone else beat him to it. _Damn it! Now I'm_ _stuck to waiting again._ Grumbling, he pushed his chair back in and resumed eating.

Theo left the main hall in search for Hermione when he saw her leave. Did she want to start the session now? His session was next and he was unsure what her abrupt exit meant for it. He saw her on the way back to her private quarters and caught up with her.

"AHH!" Hermione shrieked as Theo put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She was still on edge from lunch.

Theo took his hand away, put both hands up in defeat, and took a step back "Woah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to know when you wanted to start our session." In reality, Theo was a little afraid of her. He had heard of her capabilities. Who hadn't? She was the most famous muggleborn in the wizarding world. He didn't want to get on her bad side. Not now, not ever.

Hermione puffed out a breath "Oh! I'm so sorry, Theo. I've just been slightly rattled today. How about you wait for me outside? I'll just wash up and be out in a minute." The smile she offered him totally rid of his fears.

As he stood waiting, he recalled his time back in Hogwarts. Though he had never exactly picked on her directly, he was always with the people that did. He never felt an inch of remorse back then too. Though he never hated muggleborns, he never did particularly like them. But thinking about this now, he realized just how much he allowed others and their stupid beliefs to influence him. He was a pureblood and was raised to hate things of 'dirty blood'. Even as a kid, he never truly agreed with the notion but he never voiced out his opinions. The last person who ever did so was shunned by the entire Slytherin house and called a blood traitor for all of his 7 years. He didn't want a fate like that, so he preached of pureblood superiority around his friends. Over the years, he didn't even realize when he actually started believing all that tripe. Truthfully, he was thankful for the war. Yes, he lost his parents, but after sufficiently grieving for them, he came to the conclusion that the world was better off without two prejudiced dark lord supporters anyway. The war made it okay for purebloods to redeem themselves in this world. Though it was a struggle at first, after all the hate and discrimination from the rest of the wizarding community, he managed to make a name for himself and earn back his respect. All this struggle opened his eyes. He refused to be the same Theo anymore, and he was going to start with this girl. He was going to be honest and mature. He was going to let her see the real Theodore Nott. Even if he didn't win the show, it would be great to have someone that liked him for him, and not his public facade.

Hermione joined him after a few moments and they took off for the roof of the manor. It was a great day. The sun was shining and the breeze felt great. They leaned on the railing and got to talking. Theo decided to come clean and speak his thoughts to Hermione. He told her about everything. His parents, Slytherin house, his regrets, his take on the war, everything. Hermione just listened quietly. It didn't even look like he was really speaking to her. It was more like he was saying it to finally get it off his chest. Hermione didn't want to interrupt his trance-like state. She wanted to hear all of it, no matter how painful it was to revisit some memories.

At the end of it all, he finally looked at her and saw she was tearing slightly. He was afraid of what he had said to make her cry. He wasn't really paying attention to his words that much. Seeing Theo's shocked and guilty face, Hermione broke out into laughter and told him she wasn't crying because he was sad, but because she was touched that he bothered to tell her all of it and even apologized for his actions. After a big hug, they both started laughing. They had no idea but at that time, they were both thinking the same thing.

_Wow, she's great._

_Wow, he's great._

Hermione met Bobby for her next session and they took a walk around the manor. There wasn't much to learn about Bobby. They were co-workers, so she knew all that was necessary already. Their conversation felt no different from when they would see each other at work and stop for a few words. There was no spark, no excitement, at least not on Hermione's side. It was dull, to put it lightly. However comforting it was to have a familiar face around at the manor, she felt nothing. It was like they were colleagues again. Nothing more.

She was looking forward to her next session. Kieran was an absolute gentleman and he had such a great personality. It was this that drew Hermione to him. His positivity always managed to brighten up the room and he was a joy to be around. Not to mention, he really could make a girl blush when he turned on the charm.

Kieran arrived and greeted her warmly. Already, his actions caused Hermione to smile. They went to the little lake near the west of the manor and lay side by side on the grass. They spoke of their childhood, their ambitions and their most embarrassing moments. Hermione felt lighter. Kieran was a great guy and just talking with him this way made her realize how down to earth he was, despite owning such a large empire. Kieran took a stone in his hand, stood up and threw it in the lake. It skipped thrice before sinking. Hermione was furious! She had tried to do that since she five years old but could never get it right, and this guy got three skips on his first go?! Not to be outdone, she took a stone and attempted, but it sank without even skipping once. She tried three more times before groaning and accepting defeat. Yet another thing Hermione Granger was bad at.

Kieran just chuckled slightly, afraid to get slapped in the face for laughing outright at her failure. He took a stone, put in her palm and told her to give it another go. All the while, he tried to guide her so that she would finally succeed. But no, it sank once again. Hermione turned back to the manor when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. He took another stone and went to stand behind her, with one arm around her waist. Placing the stone in her palm, he placed his hand over hers and demonstrated the correct way of skipping stones. With his mouth whispering instructions next to her ear, Hermione couldn't help the pink tint on her cheeks from appearing. He let her go and she sent to stone into the water when it finally skipped twice. Finally! After 18 years she finally skipped her first stone. She squealed in delight and jumped into Kieran's arms. He, who was stunned temporarily, put his arms around her and hugged her back. They ended their session in high spirits with a kiss on the cheek from Kieran.

Blaise greeted her with a little bow and she curtseyed back. She laughed at how weird it was doing this in such a modern age. Ever the suave man, Blaise conjured a silver rose with his wand for Hermione and put it in her hair. Red was the cliche but red roses were already used in the elimination ceremonies so he wanted something different. Hermione thanked him and charmed it everlasting.

Their session was brief. Blaise made her laugh on several occasions, though some of them were polite fake laughing. Hermione couldn't help but be cautious around him. After what he did to Pansy, she couldn't help but judge him. True, it happened 3 years ago and that story may have just been exaggerated by Pansy but still. And the way the session began! He was obviously a ladies man. Looking at him, Hermione could see clearly why the ladies loved him. He could be extremely nice and sweet, but he could be extremely sexy too, just by changing his voice a little and saying a few choice words. He seemed nice enough, but she could never really trust a guy like him to stay faithful throughout their possible future relationship. _Guess I have to wait and see for a bit more, just what kind of guy he really is, _she thought. Blaise had leaned in to kiss her but she graciously rejected him. She didn't feel anything for him yet. Though the viewers may have wanted to see a kiss, she was not going to be a slag and go around kissing everyone, even those she couldn't care less for. If the viewers didn't like it, so be it.

Up next was Ronan and he did a body gag to make Hermione laugh the second they met. Throughout their entire session, Hermione was not able to make serious conversation with this man. He would say something serious and then turn it into some sort of joke. It happened every time. It was no doubt this man was good at his job as a comedian but he clearly could not differentiate his personal and professional lives. Hermione loved someone who could make her laugh, but with a guy like Ronan around, she may never be able to make any serious decisions with him. She would never be able to tell when he was joking or if he was being serious.

Francis was next. Usually, Hermione was not one to judge but she couldn't help but think he would be extremely superficial and stuck up. Those characteristics usually came with his sort of job anyway. Contrary to Hermione's first impression of the man, he had an extremely good heart. He was not exactly the brightest bulb but he was really very down to earth. Then he did something in the mid of their session to make Hermione trust her first impression of him. He took off his shirt! Out of nowhere, the man just stood up and ripped his shirt clean off. If he thought that would win him points with Hermione, he was so wrong. Hermione was not the type of girl to get swayed by muscles and such. _Except for the other day when you were ogling Malfoy's bare chest. No! Stop thinking about that! _She was so close to slapping herself and him silly.

Hermione was exhausted! She still had about another 4 more dates to go and she really wanted to be able to keep awake for her next few sessions. She made her way to the potions store to get a pepper-up.

Draco was in the potions store. He was trying to find something to give to Francis to give him warts. He was sick of that prick going on and on about how damn beautiful he was every other day. He even tried to teach Draco a spell for his skin because apparently, it could be better. It took all of his control not to Avada his arrogant arse right there. He found the vial and was headed towards the door when it swung open and hit him right in the face.

"What the fuck! Damn it!" He exclaimed, and then he saw that the culprit was Hermione.

Her eyes widened. "Oh gods I am so sorry!" She took a closer look and saw that his nose was bleeding.

He scooted back when he saw her approaching to help. In panic, he exclaimed "Don't touch me!"

Her hand was outstretched when he said it. She pulled back, hurt evident in her face, and looked him right in the eye. "It's like we're back at Hogwarts, aren't we? I'm still just lowly mudblood scum to you. I would have thought that the war would have changed everything. I had hoped you changed. I don't expect you to like me, but I actually wish you'd be civil. I'm sorry I tried to touch you. I won't do it again. And I'm sorry for keeping you on the show. I'll eliminate you next ceremony and rid you of your pain of being around me." She stood up abruptly, tears threatening to fall. She left the room and slammed the door hard on its hinges, leaving Draco on the potions store floor.

_Oh, if only she knew just how wrong she was_, he thought before knocking his head on the floor repeatedly. Draco Malfoy, you darn fool.

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Ahh sorry I took a little longer. My exams are done and I've been job hunting! Had 3 interviews today (what is it with all of them wanting their interviews all in one day?!) and also got another call from another place to come for an interview so I'm pretty darn stoked! Fingers crossed! But anyway, point is that is why I took so long this time.

UP NEXT:

last 4 dates. will the stalker finally be revealed?

info on the next round of group and individual dates

QUESTION:

am I making some parts which are not as important too lengthy? let me know what you think. should I continue as is or should I make the unimportant dates shorter and add more conversation? Any way you think I can improve?

Let me know! Review! Thanks for reading! much love!

Oh! and thanks to my Beta reader Fruitality!


	8. Chapter 8

**yet again, i dont own the hp series, characters etc and the bachelorette series.**

**now, onward! to the story**

**(chapter has been beta-ed and updated)**

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She hurried away from the potions store on the verge of tears. She shouldn't have expected more from Draco, but she couldn't help but alter her perception of him from the past few days, even the tiniest bit. She was the real idiot here. No, she was not crying because of what he said, but because she was the fool. She genuinely thought he was not the same git anymore. "Smartest witch, Hah! If only they could see me now" she murmured bitterly.

Wiping the few fallen tears, she put on a big smile to face Lorcan. She was not going to let that blonde haired ferret ruin the rest of her sessions.

She was quite excited to spend time with Lorcan. After he turned out to be such a great guy and for _literally_ saving her life during the group date, she was looking forward to spending time alone with him. There was just something about his personality that was magnetic. She was so drawn to it, especially when he began to speak. She found he was funny, had quite a wit to him and was a pretty logical guy. Spending time with him, she momentarily forgot that she was crying just moments before. Lorcan was not oblivious to her emotions though. He did all that he could to take her mind off whatever it was that was bothering her without prying. He thought he was pretty successful when he saw the glum leave her eyes only to be replaced by a humored sparkle.

She blushed a little and swallowed down her schoolgirl giggle when she thought of her session with Adrian next. After the way he ended their last date, she really wanted to spend more time with him. She would not admit it out loud, but she would probably kiss him back if he tried to kiss her again.

Adrian was shy at first, still embarrassed by his actions on the last date. He was relieved that Hermione did not seem angry with him and he started to speak more freely. They hooked arms and left for the fountain near the garden. This was one of her personal favorite spots in the manor. _I might hold my next session here too_, she thought while looking at the majestic fountain in the middle of the plot.

Adrain was different. He intrigued her to no end. She found out there was a part of the guy that he put up as a public facade, a mask if you will, and there was a part of him he only opened to the people closest to him. She really wanted to get the know the real Adrian. She wanted him to be comfortable enough with her to open up around her.

They both had a good time during their session. Unconsciously sometime during their session, he put one arm around her shoulder and she leaned in. They were so caught up in conversation that they only realized it when there was a break in their conversation. He tried to awkwardly remove his arm in fear but a smile from her gave him her approval. He was having such a great time on this show with her. He regretted never really taking notice of this witch back in Hogwarts. To be fair, if he did ever notice the girl, he would have probably been castrated by his prejudiced father.

Hermione walked him back to the east door of the manor. Adrian stopped in his tracks and gave her a short but lingering kiss on her lips. Hermione was momentarily stunned and deciding how to react. But before she could kiss him back, he pulled away with a shy grin and retreated back to the manor. Hermione shook her head and bit her lip, trying to stop the dazed smile threatening to appear. She needed to keep her wits, her next session was no walk in the park. Just then, the voice of the one she hated -okay not hated, more like just really mutually disliked- bellowed out to her.

"Kissing already? I never thought of you as that type of girl." Malfoy swaggered into the gardens. Hermione grit her teeth and turned to face him head on.

"That's surprising, Malfoy. You have always thought the worst of me. Hmm let's see, there was mudblood, stick-up-her-arse, know-it-all, bucktooth, ugly, inferior... did I miss any? Oh, a prude and the most insufferable wench too. Feel free to add on to your list. You probably would do that yourself until I got rid of you from the show anyway. Don't get your knickers in a twist Malfoy, you won't be here much longer so you don't have to deal with me anymore. I had hoped you would at least bear with my insufferable presence for the next couple of days, but I've learned not to get my hopes up too high with you!" She fumed angrily, with her eyes blazing. It was either be furious or cry again, and she was definitely not going to cry in front of this jerk. "Take a seat, you have to spend at least 15 minutes with me. And no, you won't have to touch me, I won't sit too close." She glared at him bitterly before taking a seat on the edge of the fountain.

Draco felt a weird sensation in his stomach. He had never felt this before, not once in all these years. But her words had struck something. Now, he felt sick to his gut. Was this guilt? No, Malfoy's don't feel guilty and they don't apologize either. Those were the words of Lucius Malfoy. He was tempted to throw all of it away at the sight of her disappointed expression. _Malfoys couldn't apologize but they could explain. Right? Right_. He reasoned and went to sit by her.

Uncomfortable silence filled the air for the first few minutes. Draco didn't know how to start and Hermione did not want to speak, only to have him insult her for something again. _Damn it Draco, you are a man, grow some balls!_ A part of his mind yelled at him. He sucked in a breath and turned to her.

"Okay, let me explain-" He put his hand up to stop her when she looked ready to protest "- and do not interrupt me. I don't do this very often so I might not get to say what I need to if you interrupt me" Hermione looked a little put off by his order of silence but remained quiet.

"Earlier, in the potions store. I didn't mean what you thought I did. I was kind of hyperventilating over the blood from my nose. I hate blood. I know you must think I'm a bloody hypocrite because I was once forced -yes_ forced_, you heard me correctly- to be a death eater but other than the stunt in 6th year, I barely did anything as a death eater anyway. I mostly just attended meetings and recited _"Yes, my lord"_ over and over again. Bloody snake faced creep... Anyway, point is I hate seeing blood, especially my own. That's why I said not to touch me. It has nothing to do with you being a muggleborn. I've thrown those beliefs in the trash years ago. Sometime before the final battle actually." Malfoy said quickly, all in one breath. He took in a deep breath and turned to her, partially afraid of her response.

Hermione, for the first time in her life, felt speechless. She expected him to just say it was a misunderstanding and leave it at that, which she would obviously not be placated by. She definitely did not expect him to tell her one of his weaknesses and even bring in his past as a death eater. Her eyes almost flew out of her sockets when she heard him speak ill of his "lord", which until moments ago, she thought he worshipped. And he said muggleborn! Not mudblood or filthy blood. She did not want to believe him, but after all that, she just had to. She should have said something but she came up blank. It was like her entire image of Malfoy being a evil, brooding death eater and murdering the innocent came crashing down.

"But -" She started after a moment if silence only to get cut off by him again.

"Come on, Hermione. If I did not want to touch you because I thought you were a mudblood, I wouldn't have basically dry humped you in the club that day, would I?" She was rendered speechless again. Firstly because he said her name. Her given name and not her last name. It was the first time ever hearing him say it. Hearing it off his tongue did things for her that she would never admit. Secondly, because he actually admitted to their less-than-appropriate dancing on the first group date.

"Well, you did have a few drinks.." She tried to reason, when he laughed slightly and shook his head in disbelief. His laugh was uninhibited and half-sincere. Hermione couldn't remember if she had ever heard him laugh prior to this.

"I'm not a girl, Granger. I'm not a light drinker. I had only 3 drinks that night before I stood to dance and my limit is far from that. I'd say I was still quite sober so no, you can't use me being drunk as an excuse."

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, Malfoy. Fine. I'm sorry for misunderstanding and just exploding at you for no reason. But based on our years at Hogwarts together, you can see why I'd react that way so quickly. I'm a firm believer of second chances so if you really are a changed man, lets start over. It would take some getting used to but it would be better than always thinking of ways to rip each others heads off." Hermione was still skeptical and was close to regretting this major decision on her part but someone had to be the bigger person here. She stood and put out her hand, smiling cautiously. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. It's nice to meet you."

Draco was not daft. No, he was far from it. He knew this act meant worlds. It meant she was willing to put their hateful past behind. It meant she was willing to forgive him for being a bigot for all those years. It meant she understood. This act was the proof she needed, to see if he really was different. This act was proof of him accepting her as an equal and not an inferior. He stood as well. He was not a daft man. He would not throw this away.

He took her hand in his and shook lightly. "I'm Draco Malfoy. The pleasure's all mine." and he allowed a slight smile to grace his face.

It was as if Hermione went deaf for those few moments. As soon as their hands touched, she felt some sort of spark. It was electric, but not all that bad. It was different and intriguing. If not for the ability to lip read, she would not have a clue to what he just said.

Draco was not oblivious to that little current that passed but he tried to keep a straight face._ What the hell was that?_ He thought to himself. He certainly never felt that when he shook the hands of his clients.

It was as if the weight had been lifted off both their shoulders and the air had cleared out. They sat and spoke lightly for a few minutes though it was still a tad uncomfortable. Then, It was time for Hermione's next session. He nodded politely in her direction before turning to leave.

"Granger" He stopped and said, making her turn around and cock her eyebrows in question. "Thanks." he said before walking off, without looking back.

_You are such a weird man,_ she thought, but with a lot less fury than before.

She waited in the lounge for her next session, looking through the titles on the bookshelf while awaiting his arrival. She was so caught up with the books that she failed to hear someone enter the door of the lounge and mutter a locking spell. She turned when the wooden floorboard creaked slightly and she smiled, only having it disappear into a look of confusion and fear. She felt around her clothes for her wand and mentally slapped herself when she looked over to see she left it on the little table in the corner when she entered. She was about to cast a wandless _Accio_ to retrieve it when his hand grabbed both her wrists and pushed her against the bookshelf, causing a few books to fall off. One hit her head rather painfully and she felt a bump starting to appear on the right side of her head.

"Donal, what are you doing?" She said, trying to mask her fear with confusion but failing miserably. He smirked at her evident fear.

"What I should have done a long time ago. You had this coming, you filthy little bitch! But better late than never." His evil smirk grew and Hermione really started to panic. She let out a piercing scream before his right hand flew over her mouth, leaving her entirely helpless to what he had in store. She could only pray someone somewhere had heard her.

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**Okay i know i took so long with this but i had writers block! i simple could not figure out how to make Hermione and Draco reconcile properly. hope the scene was alright though. I had to rewrite that so many times!**

**Quick question!**

**I use some cuss and swear words in here but the rating is T. Do you think it is appropriate? Since its my first story on here, im not too sure. Feedback will be appreciated.**

**As always, please leave me a review! I love reading them, absolutely makes my day! Also, i left off with a sort of a cliffhanger, tell me what you want to see next i might write it in ;)**

**Lots of love xx**


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Took a long time but this one was tough to write! Hope you enjoy! R&R Please! oh, and i don't own anything._

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_I can't believe she forgave me. _Draco was still stunned. As he took a walk back to his room, he played back the past 20 minutes in his head. Hermione standing up. Hermione offering her hand. Hermione smiling slightly. Hermione sitting back down. Hermione seemingly more relaxed. Hermione laughing. Hermione making witty jokes. Hermione accidentally calling him by his first name that one time. If anyone were to walk past Draco Malfoy right now, they would be compelled to grab him, tie him down and send him to St. Mungos. He was walking along with a slight jump in his step that made him seem happy to the rest of the world, whereas his face was stuck in an expression of pure shock, as if just witnessing the most traumatic thing ever. It was a complete contrast and it made him look like a lunatic. _I wonder if this is what looney lovegood felt like when we were back at school. _He chuckled slightly at that memory. Lovegood was always such an off character.

He was in the best mood since he came to the manor. _Maybe this won't be so bad._

He felt like he was given a second chance. At everything. This feeling came close to the feeling he got when he was allowed to redeem his family name in the wizarding world after the war. On his way back, he bumped into Theo and together, they made their way back to their shared dorm. Theo was suspicious of Draco. He seemed way too giddy to be normal. He had a scowl plastered onto his face from the moment they got to the manor which made sharing a dorm with him depressing and yet somehow, in one afternoon, his personality got a makeover. Theo and Blaise had been trying to get him to cheer up since day 1 but their efforts were in vain, so of course Theo was curious as to what was finally successful in bringing out this different side of Draco. He was just about to question him when something made the two men stop dead in their tracks.

It was a scream. A high-pitched, feminine voice that screamed bloody murder. The boys were rooted to the spot. This was bizarre. They had no idea what was going on or what to do. The manor was sealed off by wards to keep non family members and friends away during the filming of the show. No one with dishonorable intentions could have got in. Someone must have just fallen down the stairs and yelled out in pain or shock.

Then realization hit.

It was a female's voice. There was only one in this entire house. _Hermione!_Draco and Theo looked to each other, realization hitting them at the exact same time. The confused and curious expression of Theo and the giddy and satisfied expression of Draco faded into pale and frightened looks. There was no way a scream like that was for any ol' minor thing. Fearing the worst and hoping for the best, the boys took off down the corridor, frantically searching for the source. They could only hope that one scream from her was enough to help them find her.

_Meanwhile..._

Hermione was slowly losing hope. Somewhere in heaven, Mad-eye Moody must be cussing at her. _So much for constant vigilance_. In her defense she never would have expected to be ambushed by one of the guys claiming to win over her heart. But no, this was still her fault. After all that happened in the war, she should have known to trust her instincts. She had felt something a little off with Donal since the start, but pushed her paranoia to the side to give him an equal chance. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Donal covered her mouth with his right hand, preventing her from calling for any more attention. In his haste to deal with this little bitch, he forgot to cast a Silencio over the room. He couldn't do it now, for both of his hands were used to restrain the squirming brunette. No way was he going to risk removing one hand now, not when her resolve to fight back was still this strong. He had no doubt she was a master of exploiting opportunities.

"This is your fault. All of it is your fault! Yours and that damn golden trio. My son used to be such a caring little boy. Always laughing, always smiling. He used to be a person everyone loved to be around. That was until you meddling kids that couldn't keep your arse to your own damn business! You and the order. Didn't even show mercy to little kids. And you called my lord ruthless? HAH! My son was made to fight on my lord's side, but he never did anything bad himself. But no! None of you saw the fear in his eyes when he held his wand as defense! None of you saw his hand tremble in fear! He was not a killer. He was never a death eater! But you. You stunned him and the order threw him in a cell in azkaban. He did not get a fair trial, just deemed guilty because of his last name. He was kept there for a year until he went mad and then, instead of getting him treatment, they left him for the dementors. How is that fair? TELL ME!" Donal yelled.

Grabbing both her wrists in his other hand, he pushed her against the bookcase again, causing another two books to topple over the sides and onto Hermione's head. Hermione was beginning to feel the effects of the impact. _NO. Keep your eyes open! You will not give him the satisfaction of blacking out now._Her little inner pep talk worked and she glared at him. She couldn't master the energy to explain. She could remember that day clearly.

_She was running through the castle, taking out death eaters and avoiding stray Avadas. She needed to get back to Ron and Harry and finish this once and for all. Bodies of people she once shared laughs with were lain out along the castle floors. She didn't allow herself any time to feel grief before she heard footsteps coming from around the corner. With her wand sheathed in her right hand, she hid behind a column. The footsteps were slow and shaky, definitely not like a murderer out for blood. Slowly, she stuck her wand hand out first before sticking her head around the corner. _  
_  
_  
_She came face to face with a boy she had never seen before at Hogwarts. He had long straight brown hair with blue eyes. He looked to be in his 5th year and from an aristocratic family. He seemed unsure and afraid. Hermione was comforted by this and lowered her wand. He's probably on our side, she thought. As she lowered her hand halfway down, the boy started towards her, wand in hand, though trembling furiously. _

_"Lower your wand. I do not want to hurt you. We can survive this." Hermione tried to calm the boy before he did anything he would regret in his haste.  
_  
_"What would you know! I don't have a choice. My life is ruined either way, so what do i have to lose?" He was now allowing his tears to fall freely on his cheeks._

_Hermione had no idea what he was on about, but in a midst of a war, there was definitely no time for this conversation. "No. You can redeem yourself. Just lower your wand. We can help you. I promise." _

_His face showed the inner battle he was fighting. Suddenly, Hermione heard footsteps from the corner. There was Dean Thomas, overlooking the entire scene between Hermione and the boy, though he was too far away to hear anything. From his point of view, all he saw was Hermione held at wand point by the enemy. He had to step in. Hermione saw the resolve form on Dean's face and he raised his wand. NO! He doesn't know what he's doing! He was going to kill this innocent boy. In her attempt to save his life, Hermione cast a Petrificus Totalus on the boy, seconds before Dean could fire his spell. Dean ran over, took Hermione by the arm and took off. Hermione couldn't shake him off. She wanted to keep that little boy safe. She was sure he was not in this by his free will. But as Dean pulled her along, she was reminded of the ongoing war. She decided that if she were to make it out alive, she would find the boy and help him.  
_  
_After Voldemort was gone for good, she searched high and low for the boy but could never find him. She tried to find him from the group of death eaters that the aurors rounded up, but she was not permitted to visit any of the criminals. She spent 3 whole months trying to find him before Harry convinced her to leave it be. Too much time had passed and there was nothing left she could do. She did not even know if the boy was still alive at all. _  
_  
_  
_-_

Her head snapped to the side as she felt the impact of his elbow slam into her face, bringing her out of her memory. Before she got time to recover, He kicked her in the gut and she fell over, blood trickling down from her split lip and broken nose. He stood over her, about to kick down at her once again when rage filled her and she kicked straight up, right into his groin.

_The nerve of this little mudblood bitch!_He growled, as he clutched his nether regions and doubled over in pain. The only plus side of her sneak attack was that he fell right on top of her, restricting her attempts of escape. She landed a solid punch on his right jaw and managed to wriggle out from under him. She stood, ready to run from the crazed psycho when he grabbed her ankle and yanked back roughly, causing her to fall back towards the ground. Her head collided hard with the side of the little table in the room, causing it and the vase on it to topple over. The vase crashed on Donal's head and he was immediately knocked unconscious. Her collision with the table caused blood to flow from her head at an alarming rate. It was getting harder by the second to keep awake. Now that he was out cold, this would be the only chance for her to escape with her life intact. Her wand was on the floor within reach. If only she could reach it, she could send a patronus to get help since she was far too weak to heal herself. Before her outstretched hand could reach it, her vision became fuzzy and her head felt heavier. All she saw before she fell into unconsciousness was the fuzzy image of the door slamming open and a far away voice calling out to her.

"Hermione!" yelled Theo from the doorway. Draco could not form words. His mouth kept opening and closing like a fish out of water. He was panicking on the inside. _What the hell is going on? Who did this? Holy shit, is she dead? No! She can't be! We need to get help. Oh Sweet Salazar, so much blood. _His mind was moving at an abnormal speed and his heart was close to beating out of his chest. There was blood all around. There was Hermione, lying flat on the ground, bleeding from numerous places. Also in the room was a man, who was laid faced down, also bleeding from the back of his head with one hand around Hermione's ankle. The room was utter chaos. Books thrown off the shelf with its edges soaked in blood. Hermione's wand thrown recklessly on the ground. A broken wooden table and porcelain vase that left shattered pieces all around.

_Suck it up, Draco! She's dying here! This is no time for you to run off because of all the blood. _He was still hesitant but ran in to remove the man's death grip from her ankle. He turned the man over to see it was the creepy old guy. That little shit! _I knew this guy was fucked up  
_  
He pushed the asshole off and got to Hermione who was still unconscious but had her head in Theo's lap.

"Draco, do something. You know I'm absolute bollocks at healing spells." Theo said frantically, while attempting (and failing) to keep his cool.

There was blood everywhere. On her face, in her hair, even soaked through her clothes. He swallowed and got into professional mode.

He conjured a damp cloth and handed it to Theo. "I'm going to work on closing her wounds. Take this, and clean her up a little. It would be easier to heal her wounds if i could focus on just that, instead of trying to clean up all the blood. We don't have the time. Send a patronus to Landon and tell him to get his butt down here ASAP." Theo nodded furiously, in full seriousness to get her back to health.

"Come on Hermione, stay with me." Draco murmured as he cast an _Ennervate_to wake her up. Hermione opened her eyes, gasping for air before unconsciousness threatened to overtake her once more.

"Hermione, you need to stay awake. Grab onto Theo's hand and keep your eyes on me the whole time. I need you to stay awake. This will hurt but you need to stay strong. I am going to heal you, but you must stay awake. Do you understand?" Draco said, while lightly patting her cheek to get her to remain conscious. Hermione gurgled what sounded like a _Yes_and Draco got to work.

He cast a spell over her body to check for major damage. Blue lights glowed from her ribs, nose and her foot. She had two broken ribs, a broken nose and a fractured foot. Draco got to work on her ribs first. This was the reason she had trouble breathing earlier. As her ribs moved back into place, Hermione hissed out loud in pain. He couldn't do this. He couldn't be the one to inflict pain on someone on purpose. He was hurting her while trying to heal her. Hermione was in a critical condition in front of him yet again, though in a completely different situation. Looking at her now brought back memories of her lying beneath his aunt Bellatrix as she tortured her repeatedly with the Cruciatus. All he could do was stand there with his fists clenched, watching someone get tortured like an animal. Granted he still couldn't care less for her back then, but no one -impure blood or not- should have been subjected to that. The memory of that day haunted his nights for months after. It screamed at him what a coward he was, what a pathetic useless person he was. Now as he sat here, he felt like that coward once again. It was like life was giving him a chance to correct his mistake, though at her expense. He threw aside his fears and begin working on her. He couldn't help her then but he'd be damned if anything happened to her this time. He was not going to be that cowardly boy again.

Her head wound was deeper than it looked. Draco could only hope he healed it in time before it did any permanent damage. Draco was only able to close her wound on the surface, not heal it all the way through. Theo was wiping her face and whispering words of strength to get her through. Hermione had managed to just barely keep awake through the worst parts. As Draco was about the fix her broken nose, a frantic Landon Jamot burst in, along with a couple of St. Mungos healers. They levitated her and brought her back to the hospital to take care of the rest while Draco and Theo informed Landon of what they knew. It wasn't much, but all they knew was that she had been attacked for a reason unknown to them.

One healer remained in the manor to heal Donal. After the painstakingly long process, he was able to open his eyes, only to come face to face with a furious Draco and Theo and an annoyed host. Aurors arrived and escorted him to a holding cell in the ministry for questioning. They would be using his and Hermione's memories of the incident to make a verdict on the situation.

Turning around, Host Landon realized they had gathered quite an audience. Almost all the contestants and crew of the show were standing outside the room door, curious to all the ruckus. Even some of the house elves which were besotted with the ever kind Miss Granger stood, worried for their mistress.

Landon sighed. It would be a long night. He had to do so much damage control. First, he had to ensure none of this got to the reporters -namely Rita Skeeter. Then he would have to check with the health of their bachelorette. Being the lead of the show, she was of prime importance. There would be no show if something happened to her. He would have so much to do if the show were to end so abruptly. He sincerely prayed for her best health, though he would not hold it against her if she decided to leave the show. Then, he would need to return to the manor to explain the situation to the rest of the contestants that were flustered with worry for the girl. Not to mention the trip to the ministry to ensure justice be served. Yup, he was in for a long night.

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**Heyho! So thanks for all the reviews, you guys are brilliant! Hope this chap was sufficient for that cliffhanger i left you guys with before.**

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**Bye! see you next time xx**


	10. Chapter 10

_Once again, i own nothing. SIGHHH_

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It had been one week since Hermione was found unconscious in a pool of her own blood. It had been 5 days since she was discharged from St. Mungos. She was discharged early, thanks to a very intimidating Ginny and Pansy. Initially, she was required to stay in the hospital for a minimum of 4 days but chose to continue resting in the comfort of her shared apartment and was discharged after a mere 2 days stay in her ward. It had been one whole week and other than Host Landon, she spoke to no one from the manor.

Host Landon Jamot had the most grueling week of his life. He had to escort contestants Malfoy and Nott to serve as witnesses in front of the Wizengamot for the trial of Mr Donal Fionn. Thanks to the memories of Draco, Theodore and the bachelorette herself, Donal was deemed guilty and was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in Azkaban.

Then, Landon gathered the remaining contestants of the show in the dining hall and broke the news to them. He did not go into details but he did mention that Donal is now effectively disqualified from the show and the bachelorette would be away for some time. The men were allowed to head home if they wish until her return. Some contestants were puzzled as to how Donal's disqualification was related to the bachelorette's time off but Landon chose not to respond. He was sure the bachelorette would not wish to be surrounded by a pity party when she were to return so he kept his lips sealed.

He visited Ms Granger at St. Mungos to give her her choices. She could either leave the show entirely -which would result in the Wizarding Network losing all its ratings and viewers - or she could take time off to recuperate before coming back. He was beyond relieved when she chose to continue to show. If she didn't, he would have lost his job.

Hermione didn't feel it fair to cancel the entire show now that they were already so far in. She stayed home in her apartment to rest and barely spoke even a few words to Ginny or Pansy. They were worried, but honored her wish and kept their distance.

Hermione was not in as much pain as she expected she would be but that was thanks to Draco's healing before she lost too much blood and the St. Mungos healer for being so efficient at their jobs. The reason for her current state was not due to physical pain, but instead, emotional pain. Donal's words reopened her war wounds. She was so depressed and shameful when she was not able to find that little boy after the war. After seeing his vulnerable side, the boy had a special place in her heart. She felt guilty for giving up so quick but Harry gave her no choice. Hearing Donal's words and the fate of the boy made her cry silent tears. It was her fault he died. It was her fault he was thrown into Azkaban. All because she didn't try hard enough. Another innocent life was lost and she did nothing to stop it.

Hermione remained that way for the rest of the week. She was a shell, an empty shell. She spoke to no one and only left her room to eat or go to the bathroom. She barely even ate at all. She would push her food around until it got cold and mushy before throwing it down the bin. She looked pale but refused help from any of her friends. Even Harry, who was practically her brother, could not get through to her. They did not experience what she did. They did not see the look in the boy's eyes. Honestly, she did not blame Donal all that much. Sure, he as the father should have kept his little boy away from the entire war in the first place but whats done was done. All he wanted to do was make sure the person at fault got what they deserved. In his rage clouded head, he took Hermione's action of stunning the boy in the wrong sense. He thought she did it so that he would be unable to move and would eventually be captured by the aurors, which was what actually happened, but was not her real intention at all.

Her five days of solitude passed too fast for her liking and it was time to return to the manor. She decided to try and talk more while there because none of the other contestants deserved her hostility.

During her time away, she received multiple bouquets of various kinds of flowers from the contestants. Some would add a message that said "Come back soon! We miss you over here" and those that knew what had actually happened (Namely Draco, Theo and Landon) wrote messages saying "Hope you get well soon" and variations of the same message. She would have to remember to thank them once she got back.

As she stepped through the gates of the manor, she was embraced in a comforting hug by Landon while the house elves left to bring her baggage to her private quarters. Landon was like a fatherly figure and she was thankful for his presence. Landon reassured her that an even more thorough check was conducted on the contestants in the week she was away to ensure no repeat of the same situation. She thanked him for his efforts and allowed him to escort her to the dining hall where the remaining contestants waited anxiously.

Landon decided not to rush things on her first day back. All she had to do was hang out in the dining room and catch up with the remaining contestants over drinks. He ensured her safety by placing a couple of aurors in the same room to watch over her. Hermione was grateful. She really was not in the mood for alone time with the men just yet.

As expected, many of the contestants tried to pry and asked too many questions for her liking. Maybe she was just irritable lately but how oblivious to her hesitance were they? Merlin, was it so hard to speak of anything else?

A few of them, like Kieran and Drayden, decided not to push it and instead spoke of the things she missed when she was away. Despite her sour mood, she felt a little better around the carefree men. They were genuinely trying to make her re-entry into the house more comfortable.

Theo came up to her and gave her a big hug. He showed no other signs of sympathy because he knew that was the last thing she would want. Instead, he just spoke of the regular things but concluded by telling her that he was here for support if she ever needed it. She was so touched she hugged him again and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

She spotted Draco a short distance away, sipping on his drink and looking right at her. He seemed different, if that weird look in his eyes meant anything. She wanted to thank him for saving her life that day. She started towards him and was slightly hurt when he promptly got into conversation with another contestant. He had clearly seen her headed towards him since he was staring at her so intently but he chose to turn a blind eye to her. Hermione was slightly confused. _What did I do to him?_ Sighing, she turned around and headed away. She was not one to force herself onto someone who could not care for her presence, even if all she wanted to do was give thanks. She was still healing from her encounter. She didn't need to deal with all of this right now.

Host Landon reappeared sometime later to announce the events for the next few days. They were to pick up from where they left off. Since the individual sessions were over, the bachelorette would spend the next few days on some group and individual dates. However, this time, the power to choose the men to go on the individual date was in the hands of the viewers. Witches and wizards everywhere who watched the show were given a spell they would utter, followed by the name of the contestant of their choice to cast their vote. The rose ceremony would be held only after all the dates were completed. At least one auror would be present at all times throughout each of the dates however, they have been instructed to keep their distance to give the contestants their privacy.

At his final words, all the contestants were dismissed for the evening and sent to await the bachelorette's owl about the upcoming group dates. The men on the individual dates would be informed the next morning.

Hermione plopped down on the couch in her quarters. She was glad to finally be away from everyone. At least she could stop with the fake smile she had plastered on. It was starting to cramp up her face. She rubbed her cheeks and forehead slightly and sighed. Everyone bought her act. It would not be so hard to keep it up, at least for the next few days. _I should be given a bloody oscar_, she chuckled slightly before falling back into her dark mood. She was not over what happened. Not even close. Sure, she laughed a bit with some of her more favorite contestants but she still felt that empty pit in her heart. She closed her eyes and knocked her head repeatedly on the couch._ I hope this gets easier. _

She took out her laptop and went online. It was days like this she was glad that she ever suggested bringing in muggle technology into the wizarding world. Being one of the trio, and the smartest of the three, the ministry approved of her suggestion within the week. They figured the mixing of muggle and magic might help the after war transition. Even though their reasoning made no sense at all to Hermione, she was still over the moon. She promptly got to typing and soon enough, she had a lengthy email ready to be sent out to her friend Devyn Molrose in Louisiana. They met two years before the final battle at a mutual party when Devyn was in the country and they clicked immediately. They kept in contact since and despite their distance apart, they remain each others first choice to talk to when feeling down. Devyn's knowledge of Hermione could rival that of Ginny's, and that meant a lot. The fact that Devyn was also a witch made communicating with her so much easier. She didn't have to hold back any secrets.

She told her everything. How she was forced to be on the show. Her opinion of each contestant and how they changed over the days. How she actually found herself starting to enjoy it here. How she already had a few favorites among the men. How she was unsure if this whole process would ever really find her the happily ever after. How she was blindsided and attacked. How she felt guilty all over again. How she felt herself slowly sinking into the same version of herself that she became after the war. How she felt being back here after all of it. After typing it all out, it felt like a load of her chest. She felt better already, no matter how little improvement it was.

She sent the email and got to work on her plans for the group dates. She could go with having more people in a group and thus finishing her group dates in a shorter amount of time, or she could go with having multiple smaller groups. That way, she could get to know the males better. However, with her current mood, she was not to keen on quality time. She always found herself in this sort of pickle. She would always overthink things and land up indecisive. With a frustrated sigh, she threw her quill down and stood up. _I need to relax. I need a shower. _

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**I'm getting lazier aren't I? I'm taking longer to post my chapters. but hey im really sick this week so im excused.**

**Next chapter we determine the groups, the 'winners' of the individual dates and an insight on whats up in Draco's head. **

**The introduction of her friend Devyn will come in handy later so lets wait to find out her real purpose, shall we?**

**Oh! and if you haven't already, please do me a HUGE favor and head over to my profile and do a poll for me? Major thanks for all your help :)**

**And as usual, Review please! It means a lot :) Also, how about you tell me what you'd like to see happen in the coming few chapters (between hermione & the contestants other than draco)? I'm running dry on ideas**

**thanks for sticking by and reading! hope this chapter was good! xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **

**WOW HI. I know i know! Its been months since my last update and I am so sorry! Hope you guys are still following my story. Promise to update faster. Had a really hectic last two months and the worst writers block EVER. This chapter was stuck halfway in writing for the whole two months. I could only write a few sentences every other day before i felt like i was in agony. long story. anyway, i do plan to follow my story till the end so i hope you guys will have my back. Hope this chapter fits well. It was painful to write.**

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the plot or characters from the harry potter series. I also do not own the overall concept of the bachelor/bachelorette television series. Some characters in this story are entirely OC and bare no significance to anyone in real life.

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_To the Contestants,_

_Our numbers are dwindling and time is running short as the competition for the bachelorette's hand and heart reach a whole new level of intensity. It is the time to charm and appease and hold nothing back. Below are the list of people you will be grouped with for your date, however, two of you, as chosen by the viewers, will be given the privilege to spend some alone time with our bachelorette. _

_At the end of your group dates, the bachelorette may/may not choose one person from each group to save in advance from elimination. The rest will be required to wait until the rose ceremony to be assured of their future in this manor. Added pressure is on the shoulders of the contestants on the group date, for if they do not receive a rose at the end of the date, they are to pack their bags and leave the manor immediately. _

_Dress well, and may the best man win._

_- Landon Jamot_

_Contestants on the individual date are to plan and carry out their date with the bachelorette on the scheduled days. Send an owl to the bachelorette with any instructions a day before your date. Put your brains to work and blow our bachelorette off her feet._

_Wednesday: Adrian Pucey, Francis Trento, Neville Longbottom, Drayden Jeryweld. Dress for the beach._

_Thursday: Oliver Wood, Theodore Nott, Bobby Ferdwal, Ronan Padraig. Dress for water sports._

_Friday: Individual date - Draco Malfoy. Send an owl by 8pm on Thursday._

_Saturday: Blaise Zabini, Pierre Vincent, Conor Thomas, Lorcan Daragh. Dress for Dinner and Dancing._

_Sunday: Individual date - Kieran Scott. Send an owl by 4pm on saturday._

Hermione plopped back down onto her chair. The owls were sent and her work was done. It was getting harder each time to plan these dates. If she had it entirely her way, she would go to different libraries all around the world. Different countries on different dates. That was her idea of a good time but she didn't want to send the contestants screaming of boredom out the manor. She definitely did not want to put up with complaints either. It would do her no good to send them running. It would defeat the purpose of even being on the show.

_This has got to be some kind of joke. _Draco fell back down on the bed. It was just like the fates to throw this on him. Of all times! He was not even able to face her properly earlier in the hall when everyone was getting reacquainted over drinks. He turned away like the coward he was when he saw her make her way towards him. He didn't turn away fast enough and he caught the brief look of hurt that crossed her face before she schooled her expression back to nonchalance and ignorance. _Well done Draco. She extended the olive branch and tried to be friendly and you threw everything away._ As the rest of his dorm mates were discussing about the upcoming dates, Draco extended his right arm, grabbed a pillow and slammed it on his face. It was as if fate was out to get him. He was given the individual date after possibly pissing her off with his jerk act.

He knew he was being a jerk. He knew he was being totally ridiculous but he couldn't stop his brain. For the past week, sleep has been a luxury. He could only sleep for a maximum of 3 hours on a good day. This was because ever since the day Hermione lay in a pool of her blood, minutes away from her own death, he was not the same. It brought back horrid, unwanted nightmares of the war. Memories of seeing her at the feet of his crazed aunt, while bracing herself for the impending _Cruciatus_. It made him feel small and useless all over again. Seeing her made him feel unworthy of her civility. She should hate him. She should have kicked him out the minute he entered. Why? Why doesn't she hate him? Why doesn't she despise him for just standing there and doing nothing to help? Why doesn't she hate him when he hates himself for all the same reasons? He couldn't look her in the face. He couldn't handle the overwhelming guilt.

And now he had to spend an entire day with her? He groaned. The nightmares are only bound to get worse. If he tried to look on the bright side, he could really make her happy if he planned the day right. Maybe the ability to give her even an inch of happiness would reduce the weight he felt on his heart. Maybe, but it was worth a shot.

The next day brought the start of the long chain of dates for Hermione. Grumbling, she pulled out a red and white bikini that Pansy must have snuck in her bag somehow, replacing her more sensible, modest black bikini. She should have known better than to trust them with her clothes. She put it on and threw on a pair of white shorts and blue tank top over it. Putting on her favorite pair of flip flops, she was ready to go.

She met the four men in the front garden and took a portkey which landed them in a less populated corner of Gold Coast beach in Australia. After a short walk, when more signs of civilisation was spotted, they set down a blanket and stripped to their swimwear. Neville and Drayden were the first to the water and Francis was in the other corner soaking up the attention of the drooling buxom blondes. Adrian stayed behind and they laid under the sun in a comfortable silence for a bit. This was the perfect place to be. Ever since her parents decided to remain in Australia, Hermione visited all the beaches in the area without fail every visit and this was her favorite. Neville and Drayden arrived back and lay down next to her and involved Adrian in a conversation of who would win the next Quidditich match - the Holyhead Harpies or Puddlemere. She enjoyed just sitting back and seeing the boys argue and support their favorite team. It was amusing, to say the least, seeing their expressions change from triumph, disbelief, humor and exasperation all from just one conversation. They were more in their element this way and Hermione had never seen their more comfortable.

Th rest of the group date went by without any flaws. They played a short game of volleyball on the beach where Drayden, Hermione and Neville's team won against Adrian and Francis. Francis got food for all for free by chatting up some waitress and they enjoyed their food in the cool breeze. Drayden was unbelievably funny throughout the day, making the rest laugh out loud, and even making poor Neville snort out some of his drink. Adrian was just the definition of gentleman. He was by to help out any time possible and Hermione thought no guy could ever be sweeter. Francis and Neville were the goofballs, doing body gags whenever they could, and which were sometimes not even on purpose. Hermione had never felt more carefree at the end of the date. She was torn between Drayden and Adrian to save from elimination, but ultimately chose Drayden for making everyone have such a good time. Adrian had a small sulk on his face which was quickly rectified when Hermione gave him a big hug. She pulled away quickly though. Spending too much time in close proximity to Adrian made her want to jump him and snog his brains out. _Woah, where did that come from? This show is getting to my head. I'm becoming a tart!_ She shook her head to clear her thoughts and headed to her private quarters to put an end to the first day.

When her wand started buzzing and vibrating the next morning, she was quite tempted to just snap the damn thing in two to shut off her alarm. Today was a day she just wanted to be buried under her sheets and never come up but life was not in her favor today. She grumbled and she slowly pushed herself off her bed towards the bathroom. The reason for her gloomy mood? Todays date. When she was planning her group dates, she could not come up with one good activity at all, and she wrote this down as a last resort, one of her what-the-hell moments. Right now, her impulsive decision didn't look like such a great idea anymore. The group date she had planned today was water sports. Jet skiing, Kayaking and Parasailing were just some of the activities on the list. Right now, she was in no mood for adventure and excitement. Right now, she was grumbling and cussing like a sailor.

Reluctantly, she managed to put her outfit for the day on and made her way down to find the contestants already expecting her. _Oh well, here we go._ She thought.

3 hours later found the bachelorette and the contestants back at the manor in rotten moods after having to cut their date short. Apparently, Bobby was too embarrassed to let anyone in on his aquaphobia before the trip. The rest had to find out from his paranoid behavior. He was the only one in a life jacket for the entire span of the date and he always took hold of the most solid thing he could to keep from toppling into the water. Once, he accidentally yanked Hermione's ponytail and he even ripped Theo's right sleeve straight off. His constant whining and complaining really put a damper on the mood, but that was not the worst part.

Oliver, being the big quidditch star that he was, assumed himself the best athlete in the group and took it upon himself to demonstrate each of the water sports to the whole group. Apparently, his skill in wizarding sports did not make up for his lack of in muggle sports and he fell of the boat and jet skiis the second he got on it. His arrogance was really starting to grate on Hermione's nerves but she calmed when she reasoned he was just trying to impress her (which obviously worked against his favour). Then, she just felt bad for him.

Ronan just did not know when to quit. Being a comedian did not give him the right to make unwelcomed comments every other minute! His lack of tact even pissed off the instructors to the point that they were going to refuse teaching the group but they only stayed on because of Hermione's pleading. Even Theo contributed to the total failure of the day. He kept quiet for the most part but his annoyed glares at the other immature contestants were glaringly obvious. It was then that Hermione decided to just cut the date short and head back to the manor. She presented the rose of the day to none of the men on that date and headed back to her quarters. W_hatever, they just have to wait for the rose ceremony like the rest of them._ She definitely learnt her lesson. Water sports: BAD idea. She hit the bed face down and unknowingly fell asleep in seconds.

_Knock, Knock, Knock_. It was a knocking that finally woke Hermione. Standing outside her door was Landon Jamot. Apparently she was missing from dinner and he came to check up on her. Dinner was awkward, to say the least. The contestants were extremely cautious around Hermione after word got out about the group date. They did not want to make any wrong move around her when she was already in her bad mood, only to find themselves kicked out of the game.

Hermione felt a lot better after a long relaxing bath. She kinda felt guilty over how reserved she was at dinner but figured she'd make it up to them soon enough. She was brought out of her quiet thoughts by an owl knocking at her window. The owl dropped her mail and left, obviously not expecting a reply.

Draco saw the owl fly off into the night sky with a sigh of relief. He had finally come up with the perfect plan for his date with Hermione. At first, he was extremely nervous over the upcoming date and spent two whole days fretting over where to bring her because they had just decided to be friends and he had yet to explain or apologize for being a jerk two days ago. It was just this morning when he woke up that he realized something. He wanted her. No matter their unfriendly past, but he wanted her now and damn it all, but he was not going to give up without a fight. As if a lightbulb had been switched on in his head, he was hit with the perfect idea and could barely keep himself from grinning the whole day. He was done fighting with his attraction for this witch. He was done fighting over this entire show. He was stuck here for now, and if he had any say in it, he'd be here for a long time to come so why spend his days grumbling like an old shrivelled house elf? He decided to be a more active participant in this competition starting tomorrow. He wanted her, and if everything went his way, he would be the last one standing.

_Dearest Bachelorette, _

_I am extremely honored to spend tomorrow with you. As for the details, I feel it necessary to keep you in suspense for the timebeing. Just a clue: Dress semi-formal. Please grace me with your presence tomorrow after lunch in the foyer for we will be taking an international portkey. I am expecting us to return to the manor sometime after dinner. _

_I have put some thought into our date and have my finger crossed that you will be pleasantly surprised. I am glad we have gotten past our hostile past as children and I can't thank you enough to have this second chance. I can only hope you feel the same way. I look forward to our date tomorrow._

_Sincerely, _

_Draco L. Malfoy_

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**aaaand thats it. I have no idea why but this chapter was the worst for me to write. It was a review i got just recently that told me people still bothered to read and were awaiting the next chapter that i finally gave myself a pep talk and to get my shit together to get this done. I hope to upload the next chapter sometime this week as well. Do give me reviews, they are honestly the only thing keeping me going on here.**

**See you soon! xo**


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